On A Starry Night
by seongmi
Summary: Akane left to live a new life without Ranma, and now Ranma is trying to find her. Will he be able to find her and let her know how he feels?
1. Default Chapter

On A Starry Night  
  
  
  
The seasons were changing; signs of this were evident all across the land. The air was warming, the trees were budding and green shoots were poking out of the dead, brown overgrowth. What was once dormant and forgotten was coming alive with the vibrancy of newness. A newness that swept across the sky with a loving caress and stirred the long, banked embers of the celestial bodies. A newness that could glimpse into the depths of mans soul in an effort to assert itself, driven by a relentless spirit and energy that surged to the very end. A newness whose beauty and fragility would never be forgotten by those who witnessed the sight; put simply this was the dance of life.  
  
In the midst of all this newness sat Ranma; enthroned on the roof of the Tendo household. He was clearly dressed for bed, as could be seen by the yellow boxers and white muscle shirt, however sleep eluded him this evening. Just as all of nature was being lovingly coaxed to life by the faint stirrings of spring, so was he. The long banked embers in his heart were being stoaked, and soon a fire was raging in their place. This fire did not possess any of the uncertainties or denials of the past's meager flames. No, this fire burned with the light of a realized truth and the confirmation of a monumental challenge. This truth would be next to impossible to realize unless some changes were made, and fast.  
  
Ranma rose early the next morning despite his late night. He has been working on a method of attack and had decided that his best approach would be a physical one. This challenge was going to have to begin in conflict. With this thought in mind, Ranma detoured through the kitchen to grab a glass and a pitcher of ice water. He then positioned himself by the front gates of the Tendo home and waited. He glanced at his watch and smiled as he realized that the first of many conflicts was due to begin in exactly five minutes.  
  
Akane was out for her normal morning jog. Everyday she followed the same routine. She would rise at the same time, leave for her jog at the same time, and return at the same time. This monotony seemed to help her father stay a little more rooted in reality. At one point in time he had a sound mind, however since her mother's death he was sure he would also loose one of his daughters. This routine was Akane's small way of reassuring him that life's events would never change. However, this would soon no longer be the case. Something had been nagging at Akane's mind lately. Something thought that disturbed her very much. Over the past few days she had tried several different methods of calming herself, but none of them had worked. She needed to find a way to calm her overstressed spirit so she could quietly contemplate her life. Then, as the grim thought entered her mind, she remembered everything she had done the past few months and shut her mind off from every other thought. A change was coming over her also, a change that was long over due. Akane knew what she felt burning within her. She also knew it was growing everyday, but she did not know how to stop it or make it more simple. So she chose the only other path offered, the newness of freedom. With the decision firmly made, Akane turned down the street headed not for the Tendo home, but for the park and change.  
  
Ranma sat waiting for the recipient of his silent challenge. He never suspected the change that was occurring in his life at the moment. As he waited he started to get disappointed that Akane did not come home, then he started to worry, and finally he panicked. He supposed he would have to start searching for her, but before he did he would eat his breakfast. He always did better on a full stomach.  
  
1 Chapter One  
  
Akane had been planning on leaving Nerima for eight months now; there was just no way she could live with the fiancée situation any longer. As far as she was concerned, she was helping Ranma to make a decision. With one less fiancée in the picture he should have no problems. The only thing that bothered Akane was her growing love for the jerk. She knew she had liked him for a while, but only confessed to love him after her near death experience in China. That moment in time had been the real eye opener. For a while after they had returned from the trip, Akane tried to compete for Ranma's affections, but he just would not make a decision. So now she was going to live by the old adage, "if you truly love something, let it go. If it returns to you then it is yours to keep/" However, doing this was harder than Akane imagined. She tried avoiding Ranma, but he would always seek her out. Then every time she would see one of the other girls around him her heart would break all over again. Finally, after a couple months of this, Akane had decided that enough was enough and went in search of a job. She claimed that the money she was earning would help cover her education, and this was true. She was going to educate herself on the art of living without Ranma.  
  
The only other living thing that knew any part of Akane's plane was P-chan. She had told him every detail and had gone over every list with him. Telling P-chan everything did not bother Akane one little bit because she knew he would never say a word. He was a pig after all and pigs just do not talk.  
  
After eight months of hard work, Akane decided that her bank account was now big enough to accomplish what she planned to do. Quietly she slipped out of the house and headed for the bank. She was going to have to close her account and open a new one; if she did not do this then Nabiki would be able to track her down very quickly. That would just not do. On the way to the bank Akane stopped in an alley. She glanced in all direction to make sure she was not being followed, and then dug in her purse for a few needed pieces of identification. She would be opening a new account under her new identity. After she was finished there, she would head for the park and drop her purse off with all of the other supplies she had been hiding for the past few weeks. She was going to leave early in the morning and did not want to have to carry anything. The less she had on her, the less chance of her making noise.  
  
The sky was just beginning to lighten from the first rays of the sun. The world around the Tendo household was very still and quiet. Even the birds were still resting in their nests. Then there was something visible on the roof. Very quietly this person dropped to the ground below and entered the kitchen through the window. A small piece of folded paper was placed by the sink, hopefully the recipient would notice it. The person quickly exited the kitchen and leaped over the wall. No time for the gate, it would make some noise anyway. Without further flourish or thought, Akane was on her way to the park and a new life.  
  
Akane quickly arrived at the park and gathered up her backpack and purse, then headed for the out-skirts of the city. She wanted to be out of the city before breakfast had begun at home, and judging from the position of the sun she had somewhere between fifteen minutes and half an hour. She would need to hurry to fit those time constraints.  
  
As she walked, she rummaged through her purse to make sure she had the items she would need. First she took a thin, plain gold band from the bag and placed it on her ring finger. She was going to travel as a married woman. Then she took a set of marriage papers and a new identification card out of the bag. These she placed in her billfold after she had put her old identification in the bag. Finally she produced from the bag a checkbook and debit card. Her new identity was complete. With a confidence she had not felt for quite a while, Akane sprinted the last half mile to the train station. She would not allow herself to consider the ramifications of her course of action until she was safely on the train. If she did she would have backed out of the whole thing, and she would have wasted her time.  
  
Ranma was sitting at the breakfast table waiting, just as he had been doing all morning. No one else had even noticed that Akane was missing, or if they had no one said anything. The table was completely silent this morning, as if something were amiss. The quietness was about to get on Ranma's last nerve when Nabikki finally broke the silence. "What's wrong Ranma, not feeling well?"  
  
"Gee, what would make you ask something like that?" Ranma shot back. Her question was only adding to his annoyance. Where is Akane anyways?  
  
Ranma did not get the answer he expected. For that matter he received no answer at all. Nabikki just pointedly stared at the table in front Ranma with what could only be termed a "duh" look. Ranma gazed down at his spot just in time to see his father steal the last bit of food out of his breakfast bowl. The old man had even drank his tea. He had been so worried about Akane that he had forgotten to eat his breakfast. This was going to be another one of those days.  
  
Just then Ranma's stomach decided to let its presence be known and growled quite loudly. At that Kasumi smiled her most understanding smile and said, "I set some food aside for Akane, she said she might run a little longer than usual. If she is not back soon then you can have her food."  
  
"Um, thanks Kasumi I guess I was busy thinking about things. Do you know when Akane will be back?"  
  
"No. She did not say. Oh, she did tell me that she left something for you on her desk. Why don't you go and get it. Maybe that will help you to worry less."  
  
Ranma tried his hardest to deny his worry to Kasumi, but who could argue with that smiling face. Instead he mumbled his thanks, grabbed Akane's breakfast, and headed up the stairs.  
  
Akane sat silently gazing out the window of the train. She wasn't' really looking at anything, she was just going over past events in her mind. Hopefully one day, if things did not happen the way she wanted them to, she would be able to forget. For now though, everything was too fresh and new. Oh Ranma, why did things have to come to this? Why was there no other way for us to be completely free? A single tear marked a trail down Akane's face. She was going to wipe it away, but them decided that Ranma deserved this one tear in public. After this all of her crying would be done in private, she would show no weakness. 


	2. 2

Chapter Two  
  
Ranma quietly walked into Akane's room and scanned the interior. Nothing was out of place and nothing seemed to be missing, so why did everything seem so wrong. This morning all he had wanted to do was start a real relationship with Akane, and he had been happy. For the first time in his life he was truly happy. Now, however, he could not seem to shake this feeling of dread building in the pit of his stomach. Something was definitely not right.  
  
Scanning the room a second time Ranma noticed something that he had looked over the first time. On the desk was an envelope with a flower lying on the top of it. The flower was just like the one that he had given Akane the day her hat had blown out onto the water. Thinking of that day brought so many precious memories to Ranma's mind. The ones that contained Akane without her ever present mallet. The feel of her body leaning against his side, the feel of her hand in his, the joy that flooded his soul when she said his name in Jusenkyo. He was deeply moved that she had remembered his attempt to cheer her up on that day. Suddenly Ranma felt a new, and very strong conviction; one that he had never really been able to acknowledge before. Akane was the other half of his soul. No other girl would ever have the privilege of claiming his heart. That would always belong to Akane, and Akane alone.  
  
A tender smile touched Ranma's face as he reached for the flower on Akane's desk. He gently picked the small blossom up and smelled it's delicate fragrance. He then placed the bloom in the top buttonhole on his shirt. As soon as he finished reading the note he would ask Kasumi to press the bloom for him, then he would place it in his Akane box along with her pictures and a rather sizable lock of her hair. With that decision made Ranma reached for the note. He was eager to read what Akane had written, no doubt it was her declaration of undying love for him. No, Akane would never write anything like that. She was way to tomboyish. This was probably just another one of those challenges she would give him on occasion, a plea for him to spar with her. Well, maybe he would accept her invitation this time. That way he could touch her without fear of being struck by her mallet.  
  
Ever so slowly Ranma opened the seal on the envelope; afraid to find out what the content was. Finally there could be no more stalling; the letter was removed from its temporary prison allowing the sunlight to change reality, the letter's reality as-well-as Ranma's.  
  
Ranma's eyes clouded as he slowly read the message that his Akane had left him. His world was crumbling before him, and there was nothing he could do to stop the pain. He had finally gotten the courage to tell Akane how he felt, and he was too late. How could he live without her? How could anyone live when their soul had been ripped from their body? Ranma savagely wiped the tears from his eyes as he continued to read, the explanation of how events happened. The finality of a situation played out for way too long. Everything was coming to a head, but not the way he had planned. Just as he was finishing, he heard a noise in the doorway and looked to see who was there. As he lifted his head he fought to bury his feelings deep within his being, dropped the letter to the ground, and walked past an ever-smiling Kasumi without saying one word.  
  
  
  
"Oh my, the night is very misty. I can barely see anything at all!" Akane thought to herself as she walked down a forest path. Try as she might she could not recognize anything through the heavy fog that enveloped her.  
  
"Surly I couldn't have wandered too far away from home. I am sure if I just keep following this path I will figure out where I am." The forest however was not co-operating with Akane. The vegetation just got denser the further she went. The tangles of branches overhead were falling closer to her. She had already hit her head on a thick knot of branches once. This was not right. The forest was not familiar. The path beneath her feet was quickly disappearing, she was starting to get scared.  
  
"Did I wander of the main trail in all of this fog? Maybe I should wait for the fog to clear before I move on. Then I should be able to get my bearings straight." With this thought in mind Akane sat on an old, decaying log by the side of the road. She was alone. She hated to be alone. She always had someone with her, either a friend, a family member, or P-chan. This was a new experience for her, and a rather frightening one too. Everything seemed to be so dark and mysterious in this place. The fog added to the mysteriousness in an eerie sort of way.  
  
Trying to fight off the feeling that something was standing right behind her, Akane folded her legs and dropped into a meditation. She was hoping that this would help her to regain control and focus her frazzled senses. Slowly, her breathing rate dropped and her muscles began to relax. Her thoughts began to turn inward, towards the events of her life. Happy days that were filled with love and warmth. Kasumi was in the kitchen making a hot meal for her family. The whole house was filled with the tempting aromas of her cooking. In the background Akane could hear the gentle clicking noise coming from Nabiki's room. She was totaling the day's receipts. Her sisters were always taking care of her. Making sure that every need was met before she could ever anticipate it. Her meditation deepened.  
  
Akane wandered towards the back porch of the house. Her father was here. Weeping tears of joy for his family. He was so emotional all of the time, he held nothing back. He was never afraid of what people would think about him. He loved his family and did not care who knew. Once again, Akane's meditation deepened.  
  
There was a noise behind her in the backyard. Not a very obvious noise, it was really more of a soft swish. The sort of noise one would hear if a humming bird were to fly by. Akane knew this was not the case though. Her highly trained senses told her otherwise. A smile formed on her face as she turned, she knew what she would see.  
  
Ranma had entered the yard. He was kneeling on the edge of the water softly stoking its surface. Ever so slowly he turned his head and gazed straight into her eyes, holding her captive with the warmth in their depths. He raised his hand and beckoned her to come closer, and she found herself responding. He smiled brightly at her as she walked towards him. He looked so incredibly happy! As she neared he rose and turned to face her. Then he reached out his hand to her and waited. A confused look briefly crossed Akane's face. This was an event that rarely ever occurred and she was unsure of what to expect. Then Akane remembered that this was Ranma she was looking at, and no matter what words came out of his mouth in the end he truly never wanted to hurt her. Slowly she lifted her hand in turn as her heart started to beat rapidly in her chest. The feel of his fingers on hers sent wild sensations racing through her body. The warmth of his hand closing around hers made the dangers of the world seem insignificant. The strength of the chi flowing from his hand into hers seemed to solidify the bond that had been forming between them since the day they first met. A bond that seemed to transcend all meaning for Akane.  
  
She shivered slightly as Ranma's arm wrapped around her shoulder. A feeling that was just a little to real for a meditation. Was their bond that strong? There again, Akane felt the sensation of something brushing against her shoulder. The pressure was too strong, something was not right.  
  
Bit by bit Akane felt herself rising out of the depths of her meditation. The process only took a few seconds in reality, but to Akane it felt like several minutes had passed. The feeling was still there, something or someone was definitely touching her shoulder. Fighting to remain in control Akane slowly extended her senses trying to feel what was in contact with her. Whatever was there with her had a dark feeling to it; she needed to focus. Gathering all of her strength in to her arms and hands, Akane braced herself to strike this menace with her mallet. If she was right the thing was standing right behind her. She would have to be fast and extend backwards to compensate for any retreat the thing might attempt. Either way she would strike it, and she would strike it hard.  
  
After what felt like an eternity, Akane felt her peak energy flowing through her arms. She snapped her eyes open and released a blood-curdling battle cry as she reached into nether-space for her mallet. 


	3. 

Starry Night  
  
Chapter Three  
  
Akane felt her mallet strike flesh. "Yes!" She could feel her satisfaction coursing through her veins. Quickly, she sidestepped into a back stance for her next strike. As she snapped her head around her eyes sought out her target. She was planning to execute a knife blade attack to the things neck. Then she saw her assailant. Her attack was forgotten as she covered her eyes and screamed for all she was worth.  
  
  
  
  
  
Ranma woke with a start. Quickly he jumped off of his sleeping mat and dashed down the stairs. Once at the bottom he stopped and listened. Noise. There was noise coming from the kitchen. That was all he could hear in the whole house.  
  
So, of course, this is where he headed.  
  
  
  
  
  
Kasumi was standing in the kitchen, quietly humming to herself as she chopped some cabbage in preparation for dinner. The tune was nothing spectacular, just a cute little song she had heard somewhere. She so liked the melody; she would have to get the tape. If only she could remember the name. "Yume de? Futari wa mada? Boku-tachi something or another." Endless possibilities continued to run through her mind. She was so engrossed in remembering the song title that she stopped paying attention to her task at hand. Her knife aim was slightly off and she only caught the edge of the cabbage. The next thing she knew the knife was slipping and headed straight for her thumb. There was nothing she could do as the cold steel sliced into her unyielding flesh, all she could manage was a weak yelp of pain. She dropped the knife as pain shot into her hand and coursed up her arm. Quickly she regained her wits and turned on the water to wash the wound. The blood was coming much to quickly for her to tell how serious the damage was, and she was starting to feel dizzy and nauseous. "Oh my!" she said every quietly as she felt her balance start to give away. She was about to grab onto the edge of the counter when she felt a pair of strong arms around her. Instinctively she knew who held her and that she was safe, so she closed her eyes and tried to get the dizziness under control.  
  
  
  
  
  
Ranma ran into the kitchen just in time to see Kasumi cut herself. "Crap!" he thought to himself, and turned to get the first aid box from the cupboard. He then heard Kasumi's quiet exclamation and turned just in time to see her start to stumble. If any other person had been in the kitchen Kasumi would have hit the ground, but Ranma, thanks to all his speed training, was able to catch her in time. Quickly, and to the best of his ability, he assessed her wound. The cut was deep and nearly severed her appendage. Ranma set Kasumi down at the kitchen table, and wrapped her hand up in a kitchen towel. Once he was sure that Kasumi would be able to hold the towel on her own he went to find a piece of paper and a pen to write a note to the rest of the family. He then returned to Kasumi and gently picked her up. Then he ran to Dr. Tofu's clinic as fast as he could. In his worry over Kasumi, Ranma completely forgot about the scream that had awoken him from his sleep.  
  
Nabiki was returning home from what had turned out to be a very long day. The only thing that she wanted to do was to soak in the furo and let her problems just float away. To feel the tension leave every part of her body would be heavenly. Then she could go to her room and read that manga she had bought last week. All of a sudden she caught a glimpse of someone running through the gates of her home and down the street, and considering how fast that person was running, it could only be Ranma. Who was he carrying? Maybe Akane had returned while she was out shopping, she had better follow and find out. She started running in the direction that Ranma had been taking. He was already way out of her line of sight by the time she reached the sidewalk, so she started to go over the facts in her head. To start with Ranma had been carrying someone. Then there was the fact that he was in such a hurry that he was traveling at a speed that was normally reserved for a fight. He had to be heading to Dr. Tofu's. That was the only logical place to consider. So that is where Nabiki went.  
  
Dr. Tofu was closing up shop for the day when he heard someone burst through his front door. He stopped his sweeping and turned just in time to see Ranma barreling towards him. Ranma was cradling someone in his arms, but he couldn't really tell whom. As protective as Ranma was acting though he was pretty sure it was Akane. "What in the world have those two gotten themselves into now?" he thought to himself with a slight laugh. "Those two are one of the most fun couples to watch. They are more entertaining than a TV show."  
  
"Just take her in the room on the right Ranma and I will be right there. I need to speak with Mrs. Takei briefly," Dr. Tofu said as he turned to face the other exam room.  
  
"That's funny. I could have sworn I saw the door open a second ago. I will have to call her in the morning and apologize for missing her departure," he thought to himself with a slightly confused look in his eyes. How could he have missed her leave? Was she in that much of a hurry? He headed towards the other exam room while still thinking about how he could have missed someone walking through his door. He would have to check himself over later to make sure he was not getting sick himself.  
  
"What can I do to help you Ranma?" Dr Tofu said as he opened the door. He still was not sure exactly whom he was treating since Ranma was blocking his view of the bed. "Would you like to have a seat in the chair?" he said pointing towards the corner of the room. Then he waited patiently for Ranma to move.  
  
As Ranma moved, Dr Tofu got a full view of his patient and felt the familiar feelings come to the surface. The next thing he knew his glasses were getting all foggy and he was having a hard time concentrating. He gazed at the beautiful woman laying on the stretcher in front of him as he felt the rest of his control slowly slip away.  
  
Nabiki was having a hard time catching her breath. She was not use to running. She was not even in shape. She did exercise on occasion to help keep her figure, but even that was sporadic. By the time she rounded the corner by Dr Tofu's clinic she thought her lungs were going to burst. She barely had enough time to mutter a word of warning to the lady who was quickly running out of the clinic. The lady stopped and looked at her strangely then asked, "Are you Tendo Kasumi's sister?"  
  
"Yes," Nabiki said with some effort.  
  
"She is in there. I would be careful if I were you, you know how he gets!" That was all Nabiki could understand as the lady turned and ran down the street as fast as she could, but the implications stopped Nabiki's heart. If Ranma was carrying Kasumi to the clinic then something bad had to have happened. Nabiki felt a second wind enter her body and sprinted the last quarter of a mile to the clinic.  
  
"Come on Tofu, you can do this! Focus! " Dr Tofu thought to himself as he walked towards what he thought was the exam table. He fought for control as the familiar fog of lunacy came crashing down. She was the most wonderful girl he had ever met, and she needed him now! He needed to stay in control! Is that Kasumi-chan or Betty-chan? I cannot tell. Breath! Don't forget to breath Tofu!" This immaturity had to stop and it had to stop now! How could he ever be considered a respectable doctor if he fell to pieces every time Kasumi walked into the room! With considerable control Dr. Tofu closed his eyes and started some deep breathing exercises.  
  
Ranma sat very tensely in the corner of the room. The chair was very comfortable, but he was tense anyways. Ranma knew that he needed to be ready to run at any given moment. He needed to stay focused so he could grab Kasumi and make a break for the door just in case the doctor wigged out. He knew that he probably should have taken her to the hospital, but he was wagering that Tofu would be able to control himself long enough to save Kasumi's thumb. He was hoping he was right. Ranma readied himself to jump as the doctor started to run in circles in the middle of the room. He was mumbling something, but Ranma was not sure what he was saying. Then the slowly disintegrating doctor stopped in front of Betty-chan and started to ask who she was. That was enough, he had to get Kasumi away from the doctor. If anything happened to Kasumi because he had brought her here instead of taking her to the hospital, then Akane would never forgive him.  
  
Just as Ranma was starting to act something incredulous happened. Tofu regained enough control to start some deep breathing exercises. Ranma was not sure what to do now. He was not sure what the outcome would be, so he just stood and stared dumbly. After a few minutes Dr Tofu's glasses began to clear and his eyes no longer looked crazed. The doctor turned towards Kasumi to assess the wound, but Ranma was not so sure whether or not to trust him. There was still a slight glaze in his eyes. "Is he just concentrating or is he going to go berserk again. To late now, guess I am just going to have to trust my instincts. Please don' t let me be wrong this time." Ranma watched dumbfounded as the doctor moved with an exaggerated deliberateness. The necessary surgical instruments were prepared and set on a sterile cloth on a tray next to the examination table that Kasumi was laying on. Next the doctor started two ivs. The first was a slow saline drip, the second was to replace the blood that Kasumi had lost during the ordeal. Ranma watched anxiously as Dr. Tofu administered the necessary anesthesia through the saline solution. The whole process was really worrisome to Ranma, and just when he was getting ready to ask Dr. Tofu if the second IV was really necessary the doctor began to speak.  
  
"Ranma, I was concentrating so hard that I almost forgot that you were in the room with me. I realize that some of this procedure might seem a bit much to you, but believe me it is necessary. I needed to start the second IV so I could administer anesthesia to Kasumi. Now normally I would have just given her a local anesthesia, but there were two things that made me change my mind. The first reason is the severity of the cut. Not only is the cut an inch and a half long, it also goes down to the bone. The second reason is because Kasumi is unconscious. If she were to wake-up during the procedure we have no clue how she would react. If you don't mind Ranma I am not going to talk anymore until I am finished. Also, I would appreciate it if you could stay in the chair and remain quiet. You know how I react when Kasumi is around and I really need to be able to stay focused."  
  
"Sure thing Dr. Tofu." Ranma replied very quietly as he focused in on the doctors eyes. He needed to remain alert just in case the doctor had a momentary relapse so he could quickly put himself between the two.  
  
Nabiki came to a stop in front of the exam room door just in time to see Dr. Tofu start to prepare his instruments. He was moving slower than usual, but seemed to be in complete control of all of his facilities. This is a good sign. Nabiki thought to herself as she bent over and put her hands on her knees in an attempt to catch her breath. When she was finally able to breath easily again, she straightened just in time to see Dr. Tofu start an IV. He was in complete control of himself still. The idiot that he normally became was nowhere to be seen. This is too good to be true. Nabiki thought to herself as she whipped out her camcorder. I better get this on tape for future reference. This might make a good wedding present some day. Nabiki watched in amazement as the good doctor was able to keep himself under control throughout the entire procedure. The more he worked on Kasumi, the quicker his hands moved and the more assured of himself he seemed. Finally the last stitch was in place and the doctor replaced his last instrument on his tray.  
  
All right. He is going to lose it any minute now. Nabiki's thought was mimicked by Ranma. He was standing up in preparation to defend Kasumi. This is too good to be true. Nabiki thought to herself as the doctor turned to face her. She noticed the grim lines of determination starting to fade from his face. "Ranma, Nabiki, I need to speak with both of you in the waiting room for a moment. Kasumi needs her rest now, so please turn off the lights on your way out of the room," Dr. Tofu said as he brushed past Nabiki. Nabiki, in turn, looked at Ranma, shrugged her shoulders and followed the doctor.  
  
"I am honored that you chose to bring Kasumi to me, Ranma. You can not imagine the pride that I feel in your trust. I realize that I turn into a muttering idiot when Kasumi is around. I have been trying to hard to get past that problem. She is so beautiful though that it is very hard to control myself. I guess that was my way of protecting myself from rejection. If I could not get close enough to her to ask her out then she could never break my heart," Dr Tofu stopped at this point and seemed to be thinking about the next words that he was going to say. Then he smiled at them and continued. "Kasumi's cut was very serious. Thankfully though I was able to repair all of the damage that had occurred. Also, Kasumi is very lucky that the knife was very sharp. A clean cut always heals better. I will need to keep Kasumi overnight to keep an eye on her wound. The consequences of an infection are not very pretty. If all goes well she should be able to return home either tomorrow or the following day." With that the doctor turned and walked back to the exam room.  
  
"That was very interesting! I wonder if Kasumi will believe us when we tell her what happened," Ranma said while watching the doctor close the door to the exam room.  
  
"She will believe every part of this day for years to come," Nabiki said while patting her camcorder. "I think things are finally going to change for those two. Come on Ranma, lets head home." They walked the entire way home in silence. The day had been long and they were both tired. 


	4. 

I want to thank all everyone who has reviewed by story so far! I like to know that you are enjoying my story, and some of the feedback has been very helpful. So please review and let me know what you think. If you want to say something, but you don't want everyone to read it please feel free to e- mail me, I won't mind.  
  
  
  
I know the chapters have been short so far, but they will get longer in the near future, I promise. (  
  
And now, since I don't think I have done it before, I don't own Ranma or anything pertaining to Ranma, I am just writing this for my amusement.  
  
  
  
STARRY NIGHT  
  
CHAPTER FOUR  
  
  
  
Akane forcefully wrenched herself out of her dream. Ripping her mind from the creeping tendrils of the dream as they tried to pull her back in. She could not, she would not return to that place if she could help it. The last wisps of the dream faded away as Akane opened her eyes and gazed at the strange ceiling. A light coat of sweat covered her body, and her breathing was harsh and jagged. She could only remember bits and pieces of her dream, and they all scared her to death. She couldn't even remember what the creature had looked like. She just remembered screaming louder than she ever had before. Silently she got up and went to the sink to rinse off her face. The sun would not be up for another hour yet, but there was no way she could go back to sleep now. That thing in her dream was just too real and scary.  
  
Dressed in her gi, Akane moved the table and chair in her room to make a big clear space. Then she started moving through her katas, starting with the easiest. She concentrated on her movements, willing herself to flow through them with grace and ease. As she started to move into her harder katas, the ones that required more skill, she started to think less and less about her dream. Finally, all of her mind was concentrating on her kata. The dream was pushed into the back of her mind. She would think about it later, when it still wasn't quite so fresh.  
  
Maybe then she would be able to determine if there was any meaning behind her dream, or if it was just some senseless imagination of her mind.  
  
Akane spared a glance at the clock by the bed as she finished her last kata. She had been going through her forms for an hour now, and breakfast would be ready soon. She clasped her hands together and slowly brought them above her head. Extending them ever upward while slightly arching her back, stretching first to one side and then the other. Then she headed towards the shower and prepared for the soaking of her lifetime. This was going to be the last good cleansing that her body would receive for quite a long time, and she intended to make the most of it. The hot water hitting her skin felt exquisitely intoxicating as it helped to ease the tension out of her tired muscles. The aroma of the shampoo that she massaged into her hair was very tantalizing to the senses. The feel of the water softly poking her body as she sat in the tub, plugged the drain, and layback was very relaxing. The way the hot water caressed her skin with it's gentle movements as the tub filled was strangely comforting.  
  
Soon, Akane was completely adrift in her mind. In a total and complete, relaxed state that few people could accomplish. While here she thought of nothing, only concentrated on the rhythm of her heart compared to that of her breathing. The way the two were totally different and yet completely reliant on each other. Their paths were continually intertwining in all that they did, just as she was with Ranma. No matter how many times they had tried to push each other away, they were always drawn back to each other. Not too much unlike two halves of a magnet. Two separate halves always striving to form one whole. Yeah right, as if Ranma would ever consider her to be his life partner. Wasn't he always saying that she was nothing but a violent, uncute tomboy? But still how could she ever be complete without him by her side?  
  
Just as that thought entered Akane's mind, she could feel a strange sensation surround her body. There was no feeling of danger to associate with this sensation. No, no danger at all, just a feeling of familiarity, as if this thing causing the sensation had been around her for all of her life. She could feel this sensation run through her being. Giving a sudden boost of energy where none could be found and startling her out of her reverie. Then just as suddenly as the sensation had begun, it ended. Leaving her wondering what had just happened; just as her dream had. This would be another thing for to think about on the long journey ahead of her.  
  
  
  
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Deep in the heart of Mainland China there lays an undisturbed valley. This valley was a sanctuary for all of the wildlife that could find it's way there, because man had not touched its soil in centuries. On this day, however, the sanctity of the valley was about to change in a sudden and abrupt way. This was no mere valley, but a prison that contained a creature of horrific proportions. He was trapped within a brilliant crystal in the center of the valley and had been there for hundreds of years. His prison had proved impenetrable by the various forms of escape he had tried over the centuries, but still he waited. If he had learned one thing over the long, lonely years trapped in the cursed crystal it was patience. Today, the gods were smiling on him. Today, his years of waiting would come to an end. For today, the grounds of the valley started to shift back and forth beneath the beautiful prison, shaking the ground softly at first then violently. The earthquake was not a major one, just a little tremor, yet it brought about a most horrific circumstance. A tiny crack in the base of the crystal.  
  
  
  
  
  
The sun was unbearably hot. The rays beat down in an unforgiving stream of light making the docks an awful place to be. Normally people would be happy to be next to the ocean on such a hot day, to have a cool breeze blowing off the water over their skin, but this was not such an occasion. This was a day filled with sadness, a day filled with regret. This was the day that Akane would take her feet off of the soil that she treasured the most, Japan's and Ranma's. Yet even as she vainly tried to shield her eyes from the glare of the sun off the water, she had to wonder if she was truly choosing the correct path. She had only been gone one day and already she was desperately home sick. She wanted to hear Kasumi's humming, she longed for Nabiki's frugality, she missed her father's steady presence, but most of all she longed for Ranma. Her whole body ached to be close to him. She was being ridiculous though. She had only been gone for one day and that was hardly enough time to miss anything, and yet the need was there. How was she ever going to survive months away from home if she was already feeling this bad the first day? Hopefully things would get easier the longer she was away, and the more she learned to rely on her own resources. Right now she could not spare the time to think of such things, she had a mission to accomplish.  
  
As she reached the end of the dock, she turned and started to walk back to the shore surveying the ships as she walked by. She would need to find a freighter that was leaving that night. She had found several that were slated to leave sometime during the day, but she had no use for those ships. She could not sneak aboard a ship to stowaway in broad daylight. No, she would need to find one that was leaving after dark, or first thing in the morning. Then she would sneak aboard the vessel sometime after midnight and find a decent place to hide for the duration of her journey to China. She had thought about buying a ticket on the next passenger ship that was sailing for Mainland China, but that would not do either. She wanted her trail to stop cold. She wanted to be hard to find. She wanted a chance to accomplish the task that she set out for herself before anyone could show up and attempt to help her. She wanted to prove her worth not only to herself, but to the rest of her family and friends as well. She would not fail.  
  
Finally, a ship caught her eye. The captain was on the gangplank telling some of his crew to be back by sunrise because they were leaving with the tide. One-by-one all of the sailors started to leave the ship, some in groups, some all alone, and through the whole process Akane stood and watched. She ignored the catcalls, the whistles, and the occasional crude remark made by the passing sailors. The task at hand was much more important than any reply she ever could have made, and finally her diligence paid off. Almost the entire crew had left the ship for a night on the town, and if any of them bothered to return that night they would probably be trashed. She had found her ship. Now she just had to wait until midnight.  
  
  
  
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Ranma was in a daze as he entered the bathroom and started to fill the furo. All of the things that had happened to him that day were fairly normal, except for one, and that one had occurred once or twice before. Still the circumstances had never gone this far, and the finality of the words were almost too much for him to bear. They kept echoing through his mind as he willed the hot water to relax more than just his weary muscles, and every time he relived the moment he read Akane's note his spirit hurt even more. "Goodbye, Ranma." Funny how those two little words could make his entire life seem so insignificant, so empty, so desolate. Why would she leave him, how could she not know that she was the one? Hadn't he shown her when he stayed with her through every trial they had experienced over the last year? Didn't she understand that was the reason he always fought to keep her by his side? No, how could she understand when he had allowed Shampoo and Ukyou to keep believing that they had a chance with him. He was such a fool to think that he would never have to hurt any of them, he should have told them right away, but he was such a coward. Monsters did not bother him, demons could not scare him, but the tears of a mere female could bring him to his knees. Well, things were going to have to change and fast. The other two girls were just going to have to understand that the only woman in the world for him was Akane, and if he could not find her and make her his in this lifetime, he would just wait till the next.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The night sky was dark without the moon's illumination, the stars offered some light, but not enough to matter as the stealthy black clad figure slipped past the security guards patrolling the harbor. Without the slightest sound this creature of the night slipped from shadow to shadow, pausing only for seconds before moving yet again, the final destination know only to its self. After several minutes of traveling from dock to dock, the figure stopped and found shelter in the shadows by a big freight ship. Watching for movement on the immediately visible part of the deck, watching for movement along the docks, waiting for the most opportune moment to make a move. Then, without warning, the figure jumped from the shadows and made a run for the mooring line farthest away from the gangplank, and ran up it, searching for a new shadow to conceal it's already darkened form. With just a whisper to mark it's passing, the figure once again moved from shadow to shadow in search of a better hiding place. Always concealing its self in shadow, never allowing anyone a glimpse of its true form, holding all of it's continually bubbling doubts and fears just below the surface.  
  
Finally the stealthy figure reached a lower deck and took refuge on top of an air conditioner securely suspended from the ceiling. It should be safe here for now, or as safe as a person in hiding could ever get. At least none of the sailors could see it, and that was all that mattered for the moment. The destination must be reached, the goal must be accomplished, the future must be secured, maybe then happiness could be achieved. 


	5. 

Well, thanks to a bad ice storm I finished this chapter sooner than expected. Please review and let me know whether or not you liked it! Oh, and ssnk and skimmer, (they are one person) thanks for the reviews bro, they made me smile.  
  
  
  
  
  
Starry Night  
  
Chapter five  
  
  
  
Deep in a valley, hidden in the remotest area of China, the earth trembled and shook as an earthquake occurred without anyone knowing. The quake, which was over almost as soon as it had begun, had sent stones tumbling down from the surrounding mountains and had uncovered ancient treasures that had long been buried. As the world finally came to a peaceful calm once again, a cave opening with a circle of stones just inside was revealed to the world for the first time in hundreds of years. A magical ring that was designed to keep something contained within, a ring surrounded by evil wards written in the ancient amazon tongue, a ring that was intended to be hidden from the world for eternity, a ring with a stone jarred from its rightful place. The sealed container within started to twirl as if something inside was fighting to escape, fighting to reclaim some past glory that was snatched away. Ever so slowly the seal to the container was breached, and the evil within began to emerge into the world of the living once again.  
  
  
  
@)----------- --------------------------------  
  
  
  
Akane sat in the gloom of the ship's hold trying not to let the stench of rotting fish get to her, she had been on the boat for two days now and was eager to reach her destination. Restlessness was never a thing that she had encountered before now, she had always been able to go and find something to do when boredom set in, and now she was stuck. Stuck on top of a stupid air conditioner, stuck with a voracious hunger, stuck with her thoughts, stuck with her memories. Feeling her patience begin to falter, Akane lied down on her back, put her arms under her head and closed her eyes. Ranma used to always tell her that everything was training and now she could begin to see the logic in that statement as she began to start calming herself down once again.  
  
The gentle sway of the boat helped to ease her into a comfortable state of mind as her thoughts again strayed to the life she had left behind, the few real friends that she had, the reason she had left her home, and the only person who could ever make her soul complete. All of her friends thought that Ranma was some kind of a pervert just because he was cursed to change into a girl whenever he was splashed with cold water, but Akane knew better. She knew how much he hated his female half, and how he constantly fought to prove that he was the very epitome of masculinity. She loved him in spite of his curse, she loved him for the fire she saw burning within his deep blue eyes, a fire that burned all the way down to his soul. She had to find a way to help him break free of everything; the curse and the engagements so he could have the freedom that he was so desperately in search of. That was why the separation had to be made; there were too many complications and too many people interfering with his life. Besides, the engagement had been forced upon them by their fathers and he deserved the right to choose who he wanted to be with for the rest of his life; for loves sake she would give him that much, the right to choose. The first part of her plan had been the hardest even though it sounded like the simplest; she had to walk away from Ranma leaving only a note of explanation. Hopefully he understood why she felt this course of action had to be taken and how much her heart was aching for him, but how could he know she had never told him that she loved him. The only thing she had written in the note she left was that she was giving him the freedom he deserved, and that she no longer held him to the arrangement agreed upon by their fathers. Now if only she could count on the other fiancées to give him that freedom, but of course they wouldn't they would keep competing for him until he grew tired of the whole thing and told them to leave. Hopefully that day would come soon, and when it did she prayed that he would come to her of his own free will, because only then would she accept him back into her life. It all had to be his choice.  
  
  
  
@)------- ---------------------------------------------------  
  
"Akane has been missing for three days now Ranma," Nabiki said to a bleary eyed Ranma. "She could be anywhere by now. I just wish I knew where to start looking."  
  
"I just wish I knew why she decided to leave like she did," Ranma mumbled to himself as Nabiki twisted in her chair to face the computer screen. With a push of a button Nabiki pulled a map of Tokyo on the screen and started to scroll through the different districts.  
  
"That's an easy one Ranma. I tell you what if you can't come to a conclusion on your own fairly soon then I guess I will explain it to you, but if you don't get it now, then you aren't going to understand it then either."  
  
Ranma lay down on the bed and started to go over past events in his mind. There was Akane smiling at him, the stunning one that he only ever saw when she was happy with him. The vision was short lived though because every time he and Akane were actually connecting in that special way, one of the other fiancées would appear and ruin everything. They always did. They were never wanted, they were never sought, but they always seemed to appear and ruin everything developing between Akane and he. Not to mention their fathers always sticking their noses into the relationship. They could be such jerks! If he and Akane were just two normal teenagers who just happened to have met at school then he would have asked her out a long time ago, but no, his life could not be that easy. The second he showed the tomboy affection of any kind, those stupid little flags would come out and the two would start celebrating. Then he would be forced to make fun of her because neither one of them were ready to be married, not when their relationship was so new anyways, besides they still had to get through college, and what if she changed her mind. He was pretty sure that Akane loved him just as much as he loved her, but what if she became tired of the weirdness that seemed to follow him everywhere he went. The wedding could be set for the day after they graduated as far as he was concerned, but he had to be sure that she was ready first.  
  
"Ranma, hello, are you in there?" Nabiki was looking down at Ranma, waving a hand in front of his face. She didn't think that he was capable of such deep thought, but now she doubted that.  
  
"Yeah Nabiki, what do you want?" Ranma answered as his eyes lost their far away look.  
  
"Listen Saotome, I don't think Akane has gotten to far yet. I'm thinking she is probably still somewhere in Tokyo seeing as how she hates to be away from her family, you know how she is, her family is everything to her. However, she might be counting on us taking that part of her persona into consideration, so let me check on a few things. If she has done what I think she has, then she could be anywhere by now."  
  
"Oh, that sounds real comforting Nabiki. I may never find her again for the rest of my life; then again if I wait here long enough she may just come back because she misses all of us. Well you know what, I don't think I can live with either one of those choices!"  
  
"Careful Ranma, we might actually begin to believe that you like her or something, and then we would have to plan the whole wedding without Akane's opinion. Where would we be then?" Nabiki gave him a few minutes to digest this little piece of information, watching the various emotions that played across his face. "Personally, I don't want to be on the receiving end of that mallet ever, and I would think that you would be just a little tired of that thing too."  
  
Ranma started to respond, started to tell Nabiki that he loved her sister and he didn't care who knew, but then he remembered what he had been thinking about before. What if Akane didn't love him in that way, what if she did? Was she ready for everyone to know about him, them? No, he could not put her in that situation until he knew what she wanted and how she felt, so instead of declaring his love he fell back on the old standby and responded with "What me! Feel something for that kawaiikune tomboy! Not in a million years!"  
  
"Oh Ranma, you are so predictable, and not to mention readable," Nabiki responded as she started to log onto the internet.  
  
"What do you mean I am readable?" He was truly confused. He thought the had done a good job of concealing his feelings for Akane from everyone, the other fiancées didn't know after all.  
  
"If you think that Kasumi and I don't know how deeply you care for our sister, then you are wrong. We are not as blind as your fiancées and our fathers, not to mention we see you two interact all the time."  
  
Neither one of the two spoke for a few moments, Ranma was too busy thinking about what Nabiki had told him, Nabiki was too busy typing on her computer. A few minutes later Nabiki broke that silence, "Ah-ha! Just as I suspected! My dear sister has closed out her savings account, she took every last cent. Surely she isn't dense enough to carry that kind of money on her for too long, so all I have to do is call in a few favors and get the records for newly opened accounts from all the banks in the area. This is probably going to take a few days, so why don't you go out and look around Nerima."  
  
With that said, Ranma got up off of the bed and headed for the door trying to think of where to start looking when he heard Nabiki call out, "Oh, and no charge for this one Saotome, this one is on our dads for causing us so many problems."  
  
Soun and Genma stood outside the gate of the Tendo home staring down the street with grim looks on their faces, like they were expecting the end of the world, and in essence they were. Nodoka was on her way to take over the household while Kasumi was recovering, and they both knew what that meant. They would be expected to behave and act in a manner that was suited to the position they held in society, that fact didn't bother them that much though. What was really bothering the pair was the loss of their idle time, which, truth be known, was all the time. Nodoka had called in advance and let them know in no certain terms that they would be expected to help with certain household chores, and that they would also be expected to help support the household. Then she let them know what she thought of two men who would sit and play games all day while allowing a teenage girl to support them. That had been one of the saddest moments of their lives. She had made herself quite clear though, if they did not work she would not feed them, wash their clothes, or pick up their rooms. What choice did they have?  
  
They waited until a cab came to a stop at the curb and then looked at each other. Before anyone could get out Genma muttered to Soun "Do you suppose we should help her with her bags?"  
  
Soun thought for a second before answering, "I don't know Saotome, do you enjoy eating food other than the camp food we are capable of making?"  
  
They both looked at each other with defeat in their eyes, then Genma reached down and opened the back door of the cab. There sat Nodoka looking at the pair of them with a slight scowl on her face, she had watched the entire exchange and even though she could not hear them she could easily guess what had been said. Genma extended a hand to his wife to help her step out of the cab, and then hastily embraced her while Soun grabbed the bags from the trunk. They stood there for a few minutes watching Nodoka as she walked through the gate and towards the house both speculating about their future lives, they did not like what they saw.  
  
"Tendo," Genma said as he took one of the bags from Soun," remind me to teach you the Saotome School's secrete technique sometime."  
  
Soun looked at Genma, slightly confused and asked, "Which one would that be? The one where you disappear, or the one where you run away?"  
  
Genma gulped, "With her in the house we'll need both, and some new ones too."  
  
To this Soun could only nod his assent.  
  
  
  
Ukyou was scrubbing her grill after the lunch rush. This was not one of her favorite chores, but if she wanted to cook okonomiyaki then she would have to accept the clean up. She could have asked Konatsu to do this mundane chore, but she knew it would not have been done correctly. There was a special grill oiling technique that had been handed down in her family for generations, not oiling the grill correctly would ruin the next batch of okonomiyaki. So, she would accept this little down fall in order to continue doing what she loved so much, cooking.  
  
"Good afternoon, Ukyou." Ranma said as he sat on a stool at the counter. Ukyou had been so busy watching the shine on her grill increase that she had not noticed him entering the building.  
  
"Hello, Ranma honey!" Ukyou said putting a big smile on her face, "Came to see your cute fiancée I see. Would you like something to eat?"  
  
"No thank you, I am not all that hungry today."  
  
"You not hungry? Something must be wrong. What is it, did that violent tomboy hit you with that mallet of hers again? Why won't you just let me knock some sense into her!"  
  
Ranma's eyes turned cold as he regarded his oldest friend. How could she talk to him so often and learn so little. "If you are going to start acting this way again, then maybe I should not have come to see you."  
  
Ukyou was stunned as she watched Ranma walk towards the door. He hadn't talked to her this way since the wedding attempt a little over eight months ago. She was afraid that he would never forgive her for that folly, but he eventually came around. He shouldn't have been angry then anyways, she was just trying to help him get out of an unwanted situation! She just did not understand what she kept doing wrong. Well if he wasn't going to be grateful to her, then she just wouldn't help him next time. He would have to find a way to get rid of Akane on his own.  
  
"Geez, what's wrong with you," Ukyou said when she realized that Ranma wasn't going to turn around and say anything more.  
  
Ranma turned steel cold gray eyes her way and answered, "You and your treatment of Akane is what's wrong with me. I figured you would have learned that after you bombed my wedding."  
  
Ukyou looked as if she had just been slapped in the face, her mouth started to quiver, and her eyes started to tear. Ranma glanced her way for a second longer. He didn't want to see her upset and he definitely did not want to see her cry, but if he did not start setting bounds now then there would never be any. So instead of turning back to his best friend and apologizing, he opened the door and walked out onto the sidewalk. He would no longer allow his fiancées to rule his life, he was taking charge. 


	6. 

Sorry! For some reason this chapter didn't quite upload right. So hopefully this is the full chapter.  
  
STARRY NIGHT  
  
CHAPTER SIX  
  
One week had passed since Ranma had last seen Akane, but to him it seemed like years had gone by. The house was too quiet with her gone. Hell, his life was too quiet with her gone. There was no one left who could fill him with such passion and chase him with such ardor, the other girls best fell way short. He needed to find something to do before he went crazy with worry, something to take his mind off of the black haired beauty that filled his every waking moment, like that was even possible. Everything in his life had revolved around her for so long that he did not know what to do without her by his side for so long except to simply exist. A long, drawn-out sigh escaped his lips as he lay back on the bed in her room. Nodoka had moved him in here the day she moved into the house. She had wanted to share the guest room with Genma and decided that Akane would not mind one little bit if Ranma used her room for a short period of time; she was his fiancée after all. His other  
option had been to stay in the dojo, but for some reason he felt more connected with Akane when he was in her room, it was almost as if he could hear her sometimes. Actually, the whole idea was rather scary and unnerving. Maybe he should go talk to someone who was always sympathetic to his plights, someone who, until recently, never jumped to conclusions. Yeah, he really needed to talk to someone about what he was going through, and he could really use a bite to eat. He would go and talk with Ukyou, she always understood him. He stood and started for the door, but stopped as her remembered the conversation he had with her the last time he had stopped in to talk. He faltered for a few minutes, and played with the doorknob as he tried to decide if going to Ukyou would be a wise decision. He had to talk to her though, she had to know and understand that there was never anything more than friendship between the two of them. With a firm resolve he decided that he would find a way  
to explain everything to his best friend as he opened to door to leave.  
  
Nabiki sat with at her desk, starring bleary-eyed at the reams of paper in front of her. Finding her sister was going to be a more difficult task than she had originally thought. Had she known that all the new accounts opened in Nerima for the past few days would amount to this mess she was looking at, then she would have arranged for someone else to do it. She felt her stomach start to crawl as she picked up another sheet of names and numbers, as her body let it's opinion of the matter be known. Quickly, she dropped the paper, headed out of her room and down the stairs. Maybe a cup of tea would help to ease her mounting tensions.  
  
The changes in the household were immediately obvious to Nabiki as she came down the stairs. She could no longer hear Kasumi softly humming in the kitchen, the clicks of the go pieces were gone, and her little sister was not running around yelling at someone or something. The whole scene just felt wrong. Nodoka was in the kitchen preparing dinner for the family when Nabiki walked in. She was quietly chopping the vegetables with a grim look of determination on her face. Nabiki had learned that look quickly, and it often meant that dad and Uncle Saotome were giving her some kind of problem. What did she expect though? She had come into their lives and tried to take over. She was bossing everyone around, she was trying to change everything, she was just trying to hard. Everything in this household could not be changed overnight, the process would take a long time. Some how she would get Nodoka to see that, she would help her find her place with this family, and she would  
succeed for her sister's sake.  
  
"Good evening Auntie." Nabiki said as she walked over to the stove and retrieved the kettle.  
  
"Good evening Nabiki," Nodoka replied as she looked over her shoulder to see what Nabiki was doing. "Do you need anything? I would be more that happy to help, dear."  
  
"Actually you can help me with something. I would like some nice conversation to go with my tea. Do you have a few minutes?"  
  
"I was just preparing dinner for the family, and a special treat for Kasumi. If you can help me finish the treat and then take it to Kasumi for me, then I will have more than enough time to chat with you."  
  
Nabiki smiled sweetly at Nodoka, then turned her attention back to the stove. She hated to have to be the one to have this talk with her Auntie, she really did not want to hurt her feelings but she did not know what else to do. Emotions were something that she was not very good at handling that was why she never let anyone get to close to her. She did not think she had always been that way though. The relationship she remembered having with her mother was a warm and loving one, but that was the memory of a four-year-old child. The only other person she felt close to was Kasumi, but even she was kept at a distance. She had no choice though, the way she had chosen to support this family put her at a disadvantage. Most of her activities could not be discussed with anyone for fear of other people finding out, after all the best kept secret is the one you keep to yourself. Maybe in time she would be able to break free from this vicious cycle, but for now she was alone.  
  
The softly whistling teakettle brought Nabiki out of her thoughts and back to the task at hand. Soon she had the table set with tea for two, and enough turmoil to last a lifetime. Most of her hoped that this talk with Nodoka would go smoothly and she could get things straightened out, but a small corner of her mind secretly wished that Nodoka would be the person who could save her from the life she had created for herself.  
  
"Auntie, the tea is ready." Nabiki said, "Would you like a snack too?"  
  
"No dear I am fine, thank you." Nodoka replied while taking the chair across from Nabiki. "What do you wish to speak with me about?"  
  
"Wow, right to the point. You don't miss a beat do you Auntie?"  
  
"Nabiki, you have only been speaking to me when you absolutely have to ever since I got here, so I know there is something on your mind."  
  
Nabiki took a sip of her tea as she thought about the situation, rushing in helped no one that was one of the small things she had learned in her short life. " I was just thinking about how much things have changed since your arrival. This hardly seems like the same household."  
  
"I am sorry if the changes have unsettled you, dear." Nodoka replied with an understanding smile on her face. "Something had to be done though, don't you agree?"  
  
"Things were going just fine up till now. I don't see why everything has to change all of a sudden. True Dad and Uncle Saotome could help more, but to force them to resume teaching?"  
  
"Stop and think things through clearly Nabiki. One day Ranma and Akane will be taking over this household. My husband and your father are going to need a place to go, and a way to support themselves. Kasumi has coddled them too much, they have grown very lazy, they need to learn they joy of a simple job well done once again. Also, this will not be Kasumi's domain forever. She will need to branch off and start leading her own life sometime soon, she might as well start now. Now that she is staying at the clinic with Dr. Tofu and no one else, what better time is there for her to start preparing for her future? Then there is you Nabiki. You are much to young to have to be worrying about the household finances all the time; your father should have been taking care of that all along. You should focus on your schoolwork, and he should focus on his life's work.  
  
Do you disagree with me?"  
  
Nabiki sat silently sipping her tea as she thought about everything her Auntie had said. Every word of what she said had struck home, all of it was true, but still she did not feel comfortable with the situation. She was not sure why, but she felt a tremble of terror go through her entire being every time she thought of her family members going in separate directions. Her life was just changing too fast for her liking. Silently, she got up and went to the counter where Nodoka had set the cake she had baked earlier and started to put on the frosting. She no longer wished to do this chore, she no longer felt like being in this room, but she had agreed to the terms and she would complete her end of the deal.  
  
Ranma stared at the sidewalk as he walked down the street wondering how he should tell Ukyou about his feelings, how he felt about her. He was so engrossed with his thoughts that he never noticed the shadow that was following him as he went. Ranma stopped across the street from Uchan's and looked through the plate glass windows at Ukyou. A look of indecision briefly crossed his face, and a lack of confidence that was rarely seen there. The person hiding in the shadows noticed this, and started to get worried. There were very few things that this boy lacked confidence in, they could all probably be counted on one hand, and the first one would be girls. He had very limited interactions with girls while growing-up, he was mostly just with his father as they trained. This shadow bound person secretly hoped that Ranma had not made a decision that she would regrettably have to act upon.  
  
As Ranma crossed the street and opened the door of the restaurant, the stealthy girl followed and crouched down under the window by the door. Quickly, she put her hand between the door and the threshold to keep the door from closing, and then she quietly pushed the door open enough to allow her small frame to enter. Once inside, she quietly made her way to the far end of the counter and stayed there so she could hear the ensuing conversation. She could not hear everything that was being said, but she could catch enough of the words to understand that most of what was being said was just gossip. After a while, the girl started to get bored with what she was hearing and was getting ready to make her presence known when she noticed a change in the intensity of Ranma's voice and a small flair in his ki. More alert now then she was before; the girl poked her head around the corner so she could hear more of what was being said. Ranma had just asked Ukyou if she had seen Akane  
lately when Konatsu entered the dinning area from the opposite end of the room. He said hello to Ukyou and Ranma then looked around before a confused look came into his eyes. He was a trained ninja, and the girl knew how good his skills in the art of stealth were compared to hers, so before he could say a word about her she jumped from her hiding place and made her presence known.  
  
"Nihao ma airen! Spatula girl, what you do with my airen. He to take me on too too good date today, that right airen!" Shampoo said with the usual lilt in her voice, and the usual glint in her violet eyes.  
  
"Well, Ranma honey and I were just having a private conversation, so why don't you be a sugar and let yourself out," Ukyou replied in a cool voice.  
  
"Airen no want flat spatula girl, he want woman who make him feel too too good."  
  
"I ain't flat, and you ain't no woman!"  
  
"I don't want either one of you!" Ranma yelled, trying to get the situation back under control. "I have more important things to worry about than two silly girls who think they have to fight over me all the time! Do you guys actually think I enjoy this?"  
  
The two girls stopped and looked at him incredulously. They both wondered what had happened to him, and they both quickly came to the same conclusion. Akane must have hit him real hard this time.  
  
"Now if you two will just listen to me for a minute maybe you can help me with my problem. Akane disappeared a few days ago," Ranma stopped there and watched as he saw the growing hope in both young ladies eyes. He just shook his head in disbelief and continued with what he had to say. "She left a note saying that she was giving me my freedom. Have either one of you seen her? I have looked all over Tokyo, but I can not find her."  
  
Both of the girls stopped listening when Ranma said that Akane had left, they were both to busy thinking of their own good fortune to notice the sad tone his voice had taken, but Konatsu noticed. He knew what it was like to lose the one you loved. He could understand the worry that Ranma was going through.  
  
"I have not seen her recently, but I will let you know if I do," Konatsu answered with an understanding look in his eyes.  
  
"Shampoo have not seen either, but will tell if do. Now Shampoo must leave, have very important business to discuss with great-grandmother." Shampoo said, trying to sound as concerned as possible, but Ranma knew better. He suspected that the important business was yet another trap to capture his heart, and was repulsed by the idea. Would she ever understand that he just didn't think of her in that way?  
  
"I haven't seen her either, sugar, but I sure will head your way if I do," Ukyou said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Ranma was sure that she would be visiting sometime soon with some of her specially made okonomiyaki. He would have to think of a way to compensate her for the broken engagement and fast, before she got hurt anymore.  
  
"Well, thanks you guys. I guess I'll see you around," Ranma said as he headed for the door. He wanted to start looking for Akane as soon as possible, but first he needed to stop by the clinic and see how Kasumi was doing, and he really should check with Nabiki first to see if she had found anything.  
  
Kasumi was sitting at the front desk of the Ono clinic humming a happy melody to herself as she watched Dr. Tofu go from one room to the next. He had changed drastically since she was first brought here a week ago. His glasses no longer fogged over when he saw Kasumi, and Betty-chan tended to stay in the closet. This all made Kasumi very happy! She had been patiently waiting for the day when he would be able to express his love for her without acting like a little schoolboy, and she was sure the day was close at hand. Now if she could actually engage him in a conversation where he did not treat her like a patient, if he could maintain control out of his professional side. How was she to accomplish this though? Despite popular opinion, she did have a brain and she knew that Tofu was treating her that way so he wouldn't get all goofy. This was a way for him to remain in control in her presence. Maybe if she became his employee then he would be free to talk to her on a wider  
variety of subjects, yet remain in control at the same time. Now would be the perfect time too! His secretary had just quit to go to school full-time, and she had been filling in for the past four days. Who could be better qualified for the job than her? A smile graced Kasumi's face as she thought of this and decided to talk to Tofu about it tonight when he brought her dinner.  
  
Kasumi looked up when she heard a light tapping sound coming from the front door of the clinic. She saw Nabiki standing there with two heavy looking bags in one hand and a smaller bag in the other and stood to help her sister inside. Pushing the door open with one hand, Kasumi reached the other hand out the door to take one of the bags from Nabiki when Ranma appeared out of nowhere and took them instead. She smiled appreciatively at the boy and held the door as both of them entered. She was so happy to see her family; she enjoyed being here with Tofu, but longed to spend time at home.  
  
"Good afternoon Nabiki and Ranma, what brings you here on such a beautiful day?" Kasumi asked, as the smile on her face grew even bigger.  
  
"Like you have to ask, sis," Nabiki responded as she handed the smaller sack to Kasumi.  
  
"Can't we come and check on our favorite sister?" Ranma asked Kasumi. "So how are things going with the good doctor?"  
  
"We can talk in a few minutes, first let me go make some tea. Why don't you two go sit in Tofu's study and I will be there just as soon as the tea is done."  
  
Nabiki and Ranma watched in wonder as Kasumi walked up to Tofu's apartment to make the tea, then they looked at each other with knowing glances on their faces. Kasumi and Tofu seemed to be getting quite cozy with one another. They turned after Kasumi was out-of-sight, walked into Tofu's study, and set their things on the table.  
  
"What do you have in those sack's anyways, Nabiki?" Ranma asked as he sat in a chair at the far side of the table.  
  
Nabiki chose the chair across the table from Ranma and sat down. "These are the information on all the new accounts opened this area. There are a lot more than I thought there would be, so I was going to ask Kasumi to help me look through them. Now that you are here, you can help too."  
  
"I'll look through this stack until Kasumi comes with the tea," Ranma said as he pulled a stack of papers out of one bag and started to scan the names on them.  
  
Nabiki sat and watched him for a few seconds before she took some papers for herself. She started to read them, but then her eyes started to water and blur again, so she closed them instead. She would have to have Dr. Tofu check them for her before she left. She sat quietly for a few minutes, but then the silence started to bother her. Normally she lived for peace and quiet so she could work on her books, but the past week had just been too quiet.  
  
"Bet you didn't realize there were this many people living in Tokyo, did you Ranma?" Nabiki asked in an attempt to end the silence.  
  
"No, I didn't. I also didn't realize there were this many people with the name Akane." Ranma replied.  
  
They both jumped when they heard Kasumi say from the doorway, "Akane is a fairly popular name." She then walked into the room and set the tray she was carrying down in the center of the table. She had the tea and cake served before either of them realized that she had moved to do so.  
  
"What are you doing?" she asked after taking a few sips of tea.  
  
"We are trying to figure out where Akane has gone to. Ranma has been looking, but he has yet to find her trail," Nabiki replied as she attempted to look at another piece of paper, but Kasumi took it from her before she could.  
  
"So you are trying to see if she has opened a new account. What if she really doesn't want to be found you guys? Shouldn't we just leave her alone?"  
  
"You know how your dad is Kasumi," Ranma answered with a shake of his head. "We don't have to bring her back when we find her, but I will stay with her to ease his worries."  
  
"And yours, right Ranma," Kasumi asked with a twinkle in her eyes.  
  
"What! I never said that!" Ranma started to protest at which both of the girls started to laugh.  
  
"What's so funny!" Ranma demanded.  
  
"You, always trying to hide your feelings for Akane, that's what," Nabiki replied between giggles. "Here Kasumi, you can look through this pile."  
  
They sat together in a comfortable silence, looking through the papers, and sipping their tea. Not one word was spoken, not one sound was made until Kasumi muttered a very soft "oh my!" Then, as if one accord, Nabiki and Ranma looked towards Kasumi, eager to hear what she had to say.  
  
"Ranma, I didn't know there was anyone in your family by the name of Akane,"  
  
Kasumi said with a smile.  
  
"Our sister seems to be lacking in the imagination department," Nabiki said with a grin on her face as well.  
  
Ranma just sat there with a goofy looking grin on his face as he said to himself, "Wow! I can't believe she willingly took my name!"  
  
"Great-grandmother!" Shampoo yelled as she entered the Nekohatten, "Shampoo have good news, great-grandmother!"  
  
Cologne hopped out of the kitchen when she heard the urgency in her granddaughter's voice. Hopefully she had finally figure out a way to capture her son-in-law once and for all.  
  
"What is it granddaughter?" Cologne asked as she sat at a table in the restaurant.  
  
"Ranma talk with Shampoo today! He ask where is Akane, say she leave and not know where! Is good news, no?"  
  
"This is a very good stroke of luck! With Akane out of the picture Ranma is all but yours!"  
  
"But Great-Grandmother is forgetting Spatula Girl. She try marry Shampoo airen too." Shampoo said with a pout on her face.  
  
"Listen carefully granddaughter, anyone with eyes can see that he only thinks of the Kuonji girl as a friend and nothing more. Tomorrow we shall go talk with him and demand that he return to China with us, I have had enough of these silly games."  
  
"But what if Ranma no want go. What if he no want Shampoo?"  
  
"Child, did I raise you to be an Amazon or an idiot? What does any Amazon do when a male will not listen?"  
  
"They punish male for not be obedient, but Ranma no easy punish."  
  
"We will just leave him no choice in the matter, he will honor our ways."  
  
Ever so slowly, the smoky, transparent figure emerged from the crystal that had been its home for so many years now. Looking towards the nighttime sky, the creature studied the star formations while its body finished materializing from its prison. It felt good to be out again, and it laughed evilly as it thought of all the lives there were to be consumed in this world, so many weak minds that were easily swayed to its way of thinking. First though, before it could do anything else, it would need to find a body to inhabit. It would not be able to survive for long on this plane of existence in its current form. Yes, it would need a body, and preferably one that was in impeccable shape so it could begin its conquest of this world immediately.  
  
The mists began to swirl around Akane's ankles again, raising up over her head as she walked. This did not bother her anymore though, she had been having this dream nightly and it was always the same. She would walk for a while and then run into that hideously ugly creature again. She kept trying to think of ways that she could defeat the creature so she could breakout of this dream cycle, but everything that she had tried so far had failed. Hopefully, tonight would be different and she would be triumphant for a change. Finally, she reached the part of the woods where her log was and she sat down. She had tried in other dreams to go past the log, but no matter how far she walked she always came back to this same spot, so she had learned to just sit and await her fate. As she waited, she thought of Ranma and what he would do in a situation like this. The thought just caused her to laugh a little, he was so ridiculously strong that he probably wouldn't even break a sweat  
against that creature. He would probably just hiryu shoten ha the thing and send it into space. Who was she kidding, what could she do against this creature. She had become so use to relying on Ranma that she had become rusty in her techniques. Maybe instead of sitting she should be up practicing a kata or something.  
  
Akane had just started running through her basic forms when the creature appeared. She could feel its approach and turned just in time to block its first attack. Then she countered with a combination of her own, a quick jab to the face followed by one to the neck, then a snap roundhouse to the kidney and hopefully the creature would fall. However, Akane's attack had no effect, it blocked every single one of her moves and she was starting to get very frustrated.  
  
She took a deep breath and went in again, this time a foot swipe followed by a blow to the head. Both missed and she struggled to keep her temper under control. Finally the creature was able to break through her defenses and aimed its strike right for the side of her head, she would not be able to move or block in time.  
  
"Ranma! Where are you when I need you!" She thought too herself as she felt the strike connect, then her dream world went black.  
  
"Akane!" Ranma yelled, jumping up from his bed. He looked around the room and as the last of his dream started to fade away. Hopefully, he would be able to remember it this time, but more than likely he would forget again. He had been having these dreams ever since Akane disappeared and all he could ever remember was that she needed him, now all he had to do was figure out why.  
  
"Having the dreams again, Ranma?" Nabiki asked from the doorway into Akane's room. "Maybe you should go visit Dr Tofu after we check on Akane's new bank account tomorrow."  
  
"I was just thinking the same thing myself. Sorry for waking you Nabiki, I just wish I knew where she was so I could help her."  
  
"Yeah, well go back to sleep. I'll give you five to one odds that you will be leaving Nerima before the day is over, so get some rest."  
  
Ranma just smiled at Nabiki, and then watched her close the door to the room. If everything went right tomorrow, then he would be on his way to get Akane. His Akane. Then he would never leave her side again, no matter what. 


	7. 

Thank you for all of my wonderful reviews!  I love them all!  

Chapter 7

          Akane sat with her arms wrapped around her legs and her head resting on her knees, trying to think of nothing.  She had been this way since she had suddenly jolted awake from her latest dream; it had been so vivid that she could still feel the tingling sensation on her cheek where the creature had struck her.  This was just not right dreams were not suppose to hurt were they?  Then she had felt the familiar presence again at the end of this dream, it felt almost as if she were going to be saved.  Trying to figure all of this out was just making her head hurt worse than it already did, and she desperately wanted the pounding to stop.  She probably should have gone back to sleep, but then the dream would come again; that was something she did not want. She could not handle another fight with that creature tonight, not by herself.

What had she been thinking running off all alone?  She had neither the training nor the skill to survive in the wild by herself.  Sure she had gone with Ranma on several of his training trips, but she was never really alone then, she always had someone to depend on.  Maybe she should have brought P-chan with her, at least then she would have had someone to talk to.  What go through the effort though, he would just wander off and get lost again.  Funny how that pig always managed to get lost, kind of like Ryoga.

A smile flitted across her features as she remembered the day Ryoga had come into her life.  He was searching out Ranma like everyone seemed to be and, just like everyone else, he seemed to have some grudge against him.  The fight had been a terrific one.  She remembered trying to pick-up that umbrella that Ryoga always carried and hardly being able to lift the thing, but to Ranma it seemed to be as light as a feather. Shivers always ran down her spine when she remembered how Ranma picked her up and used the umbrella as a shield to protect them from Ryoga's bandanas, he always was coming to her rescue though.  Then when her hair had been cut off by a bandana the look on Ranma's face had been priceless, that was why she had not gotten mad at him, besides that was the first time he had said she was cute.  Her eyes lit up and a slight blush graced her cheeks as she recalled how adorable Ranma had looked when he told her that she looked good with her hair short.  That was the whole reason she had never let it grow back.  Dr. Tofu may have liked Kasumi's long, beautiful hair, but all of a sudden what Dr. Tofu like didn't seem to matter anymore.  All she cared about was what that baka of a wild boy liked.  

A sudden jolt came over the ship that knocked Akane to off her feet; the ship must have been moored to the dock.  A feeling of indescribable joy washed over her as she realized that her period of confinement was finally coming to an end.  To feel the sun on her face, the wind in her hair, and an unmoving ground under her feet was going to be wonderful, but first she had to get of the ship and away from the stench of fish.  She could only imagine what she must smell like, not to mention what she must look like after three days with no way to bathe.  What she wouldn't give for a nice long soak in a furo.

The door to the hold closed with a loud clank that reverberated through the entire room.  Akane crawled to the edge of the air conditioner and peered over the edge, listening intently to what was being said by the people she saw.  She couldn't hear all of the words that were being spoken, but she caught enough to have an idea of what was being said.  The cargo should be just fine; a constant temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit had been maintained. The crew did a good job, they were almost finished docking, and a night on the town was deserved by all.  Her eyes lit up at that last statement!  Fate was still smiling on her, and here was her chance to get away unnoticed.  She would just have to bide her time and wait for the perfect opportunity.  Feeling a new surge of confidence fill her spirit, Akane scooted back to the middle of her temporary home and began to plan where she was going next.

          The sunlight, which was softly filtered through the curtains over window, shone on Ranma's face and gently bathed his face with light until he woke of his own accord.  Eagerly, he bounded out of bed and went through his morning rituals, today he and Nabiki would check Akane's account transactions.  Finally he would have some clue as to where that tomboy had taken off to, then he could stop feeling so guilty.  Maybe that was why he kept having those strange dreams, he felt guilty about hurting Akane.  He knew he should have chosen just one fiancée from the start, but he just couldn't bear to hurt Ukyou. Then there was Shampoo.  How would he have been able to live with her punishment because he had chosen someone besides her?  He tried to avoid making a decision for as long as possible in the hopes that he would be able to think of some solution that would please everyone, but after all these years he could still think of nothing.  That is nothing besides one marriage with two concubines, but that would have left both Akane and he unhappy so that was out of the question.

          Nodoka could be heard moving around the kitchen as she prepared the morning meal for the family, but for once Ranma was not interested in food.  He walked on past the stairwell and stopped in front of Nabiki's door.  He tapped lightly a couple times; he knew that she often stayed up late working on the household books and did not want to disturb her if she was still sleeping.  The door slowly opened a crack much to his delight, and Nabiki's freshly washed face could be seen peeking out at him.  After checking to make sure certain ledgers were put away, Nabiki opened the door wide enough for Ranma to enter and let him into her private domain.  The curtains were still drawn and the room was fairly dark. The illumination from the computer monitor cast an eerie glow around the room that rather reminded Ranma of one of those low budget mob movies; the ones where the guys would meet in the bar to plan their next attack.  They would all be sitting around a table in a corner opposite the door, and there only ever seemed to be one light hanging from the ceiling that was suppose to light the whole room, but never quite succeeded.   The whole atmosphere gave Ranma the chills and suddenly made him very happy that Nabiki had not been chosen as his fiancée.

          "Here Ranma, you can sit in this chair," Nabiki said as she sat in the office chair and turned to her monitor. "You can watch over my shoulder if you like, but I will need a few minutes to log onto the internet."

          "Let me know when you are ready," Ranma said while trying to stifle a yawn. 

           As he waited, Ranma closed his eyes and thought about the dream he had that night.  He had been having these dreams every since Akane left, and he was sure they were always the same.  At least they always ended the same, he would hear a scream and then he would wake up.  The rest of the dream he wasn't too sure about because he could remember next to nothing about it, except for the feeling that someone needed him.  Could it be Akane, or was it just coincidence?

          "Here we go, this is the website for Akane's bank.  Let's see, according to my sources she hasn't set up an on line password for her account.  I have all the information I need to do that right here, so let's get this baby rolling." Nabiki muttered under her breath as she rapidly typed the information into the required fields. "Let's see, we need a password that Akane would have used if she were setting up this service on her own.  Let me think a minute."

          "P-chan," Ranma answered without a thought. "She probably would have used P-chan, you know how crazy she is about the stupid pig."

          "You know what Saotome, if I didn't know better I would say you sounded just a little jealous of that stupid pig."

          "Yeah, well, you know how it goes," he said, just a little embarrassed that she had seen through his outburst.  He thought she was going to say something about the pig again, but seemed to change her mind.

          "P-chan it is then," Nabiki said as she typed in the rest of the information. "Hopefully she's used her debit card, if not were back to square one."

          Ranma watched the monitor waiting for one small shred of hope to be thrown his way, and there it was.  Akane had used her debit card at a hotel in a city to the north of Tokyo.  Before Nabiki could turn around to say anything, Ranma was out the door and in his room preparing his backpack for the upcoming trip.  He had just finished and was heading towards the door when Nabiki stepped in his way to prevent him from leaving.

          "Where do you think you are going?" Nabiki asked Ranma in one of her coolest tones.

          "I'm going to find Akane, where do you think I am going!" Ranma tried to get past Nabiki, but she wouldn't budge.

          "I think you are forgetting that you agreed to visit Dr. Tofu before you left on this latest adventure.  I want to make sure you leave in good shape."

          "Since when do you care how I feel Nabiki?" Ranma asked, he was getting very perturbed with the situation.

          "Since I need pictures of you to make money," Nabiki replied with a slight smile. "Besides, Akane would never forgive me if I let you take off when you were sick, and no matter what anyone else thinks, I love my sisters. Let's go Saotome."

          Ranma looked at the floor for a second as the dreams came to mind again.  He would feel more comfortable if he could get Dr. Tofu's opinion on the matter before he left.

          "Alright Nabiki, I will go see Dr. Tofu, but I am telling you now that I am going to leave Nerima tonight no matter what he has to say."

          "Deal." Nabiki replied and opened the door so they could head towards the clinic.

          Cologne stood by the front door of the Nekohatten waiting for Shampoo to come down the stairs.  They had decided last night that they would go and talk to the Saotomes about the Amazon law today, and she was obviously leaving nothing to chance.  Shampoo had spent most of the morning bathing and picking just the right clothes to wear. Then her hair and make-up had to be just right, and now Cologne was sure she was trying to decide which fragrance would best suit the occasion.  Kami help her, if that child did not get down the stairs in the next few minutes then she would have to leave without her.

          After another five minutes had passed Cologne had decided that she would wait no longer and had just opened the door to leave when a purple blur came out of nowhere and pushed the door closed.

          "How Shampoo looking now, great-grandmother?" Shampoo asked.  She was wearing a lavender colored, floor length Chinese gown with slits up the sides.  The slits, which went well up her leg, and hem, were trimmed with a dark purple satin piping. Her hair was done in a tight French braid instead of the usual ponytails, she had just enough make-up on to make her eyes stand out and her lips look seductive. Cologne had never seen the girl look so beautiful in her entire life.    

          "You look devastating my dear," Cologne answered with a smile, "Now, lets hurry to the Tendo home before the boy leaves on one of his excursions."

          Shampoo nodded and the two hurried out the door and headed towards the Tendo home. Neither of them spoke as they walked down the street, they both engrossed in their own thoughts about the future.  Cologne was busy thinking of all the glory Ranma would bring to the Amazons, the wonderful grandchildren he would provide, and her future as the head of the tribe.  Shampoo was thinking about how wonderful the words I love you would sound coming from Ranma's mouth, how his hands would feel on her body, how his lips would feel on hers.  They were both so lost in their own thoughts that they almost didn't see Nabiki and Ranma cross the street some yards in front of them. Cologne was rather upset at herself for not paying more attention to her surroundings; she couldn't have such skilled people just sneaking up on her that could mean her demise.  Shampoo, on-the-other-hand, was not in the least bit bothered by Ranma's sudden appearance on the road ahead of her, she was too busy watching his muscular backside to care whether or not she had neglected her training.

          Cologne and Shampoo had just about caught up with Ranma and Nabiki when the pair turned and went through the door of the Ono Clinic.  

Shampoo stopped and looked at the door as if it were some kind of a magical barrier, then turned to ask her great-grandmother whether or not they should follow them inside.  Before a word could come out of her mouth though, Cologne just nodded to her and then continued up the walk to the door of the clinic.  They would confront the boy inside the building, what better place to air their differences. Ranma and Nabiki both had too much respect for the good doctor to cause a scene in his clinic, they would either have to leave the building or listen to what Cologne had to say. She was sure they would stay.

          "Son-in-law, I have finally found you," Cologne said as she closed the door behind her. "You and I have much to talk about."

          Ranma turned and looked at the Amazon with respectful contempt in his eyes. He was sure that she was here to demand that he marry Shampoo and he had no intentions of listening to the old bat, not now anyways he had more important things to worry about.  

          "Nihao airen," Shampoo said in a sultry voice. "Shampoo so happy see you today, Shampoo miss you."

          Ranma waited for Shampoo to try to hug him like she always did, but it never came.  For that matter, Shampoo never even moved an inch.  She just stood there and stared at him like he was her property, the whole thing was rather disturbing to him.  The look of hunger in her eyes sent an involuntary shudder down his spine, she was obviously thinking of things he wanted no part of.          He wanted to say something to Shampoo about the whole situation but could think of nothing to say, so instead he just turned his back to her and waited for the doctor.  To his left he could hear a soft chuckle come from Nabiki, to his right he could feel Cologne start to approach him, and from behind he could feel Shampoo's rising anger. He was trying to think of a way he could end the situation peacefully when the door to the waiting room opened and the doctor stepped through.

          "Hi Ranma!  Wow, your aura looks different today.  Come stand under the light please, so I can get a better look."  Dr. Tofu said with concern in his voice.

          Cologne studied the boy closer as he stepped under the light.  She had not been trained in the art of reading auras like Tofu had, but she had learned a thing or two over the centuries.  Her eyes grew wider as she thought she saw something flicker around his body. If this was what she thought it was then she would have to hurry back to the restaurant and check her scrolls before deciding what to do next.

          "This is something I have never seen before," Dr. Tofu said to no one in particular, "I never even thought it was possible."

          "What is it Doc, what's wrong!" Ranma asked.

          "Well, you seem to have someone's ki mixed with yours. Sometimes people can leave ki signatures on an object or person that will show a little in their aura, but this alien ki that is in your aura seems to be interacting with you."

          Cologne's face grew pale as she listened to what the doctor had to say. She had been told tales as a child about a terrible evil that had engulfed the world and how the evil had been conquered. Most of what she had been told she had forgotten though; she needed to check her scrolls to see if the tale had been written down because she thought that part of that tale involved two people who could use each others ki. Without another thought, Cologne grabbed Shampoo's arm and started dragging her towards the door, she had to get to the Nekohatten. 

          "I will speak to you when you are not so busy, son-in-law," Cologne said as she closed the door and went back the way she had come.

          Akane lay down and stared at the ceiling of the hold as she listened to the hold door shut, the inspector had just left along with the captain. They had just left to have lunch and would be back in a few hours and the rest of the crew would not be expected back till nightfall.  This was the break she had been waiting for; she was leaving this smelly hold.  Grabbing her pack, she crawled over to the edge of the air conditioner and looked down, there was no one to be seen. She quickly jumped to the catwalk below her, ran to the door and listened for any sound from the other side.  When she was convinced that no one was around to catch her, she opened the door and headed for the stairs at the end of the hallway.  She could smell the salt air wafting down the corridor, she could see the sunlight illuminating the doorway, she was almost out of the ship.  Up the stairs she went as fast as she could go and out into the bright sunshine.  She stopped for a second to see which side of the boat the dock was on and then she was off again, running for the gangplank that would lead her to the dock and a new life. Her pace slowed a little as she got closer to her objective, whether from fear or anticipation she was not sure. Slower and slower she went, until she just stopped and leaned on some crates that were stacked on the deck.  She looked up at the sky and studied the clouds as uncertainty and doubt once again began to assail her.  She closed her eyes and pictured Ranma as he fought Toma, never doubting himself just believing in himself.  This seemed to strengthen her resolve and she opened her eyes and started to move away from the crates when all of the sudden she got a feeling that something was not right.  She felt a presence coming up behind her and turned just in time to see one of the crewman grab at her.  There was just this one by her, but there were three more blocking off the gangplank.  Looking to her left she saw two more men coming from the other direction, she was going to have to find another way off the ship and fast.

Ranma sat on the table in the examination room waiting for Dr. Tofu to come in and talk with him. He had been sitting there for half an hour already and was starting to get very impatient to leave and look for Akane, but he had to wait.  Why did he have to go and promise Nabiki that he would visit the doctor before he left town?  A soft sigh escaped his lips as he realized how close he would be to his destination if he had left bright and early in the morning.  He would probably be half way there by now, half way to finding his Akane.

Dr. Tofu opened the door to the examination room and entered in his quiet unassuming manner.  He pulled a stool up next to the table, sat down and just started to look at Ranma.

"I am sorry Ranma," Dr. Tofu said as he started to run his hands above the surface of Ranma's skin, "I had a broken arm come in that I had to set and put a cast on before I could do anything else. Where did Nabiki go?  I thought she was keeping you company."

"She said she had to go make some phone calls.  She should be back soon." Ranma said as he watched the doctor's hands.  "What exactly are you doing, doc?"

"I am feeling your aura to see if I can tell whose ki is interacting with yours.  Why don't you tell me why you came to see me this morning while I am doing this."

"Well, you know that Akane left town right?  Right after she left I started to have these real strange dreams.  I can't remember anything about them except that I feel like someone is calling out to me, and then I hear a scream and I wake-up.  I wasn't going to come see you about this, I didn't think it was anything to worry about, but Nabiki insisted that I talk with you before I went to look for Akane."

Dr. Tofu was getting ready to reply when a soft knock on the door interrupted him, and Kasumi opened the door.  Ranma was getting ready to run for his life when he saw Kasumi smile at him, he was scared what the doctor might do to him, but nothing happened.  The doctor looked at Kasumi without his glasses fogging up, or jumping up and down. He did stutter slightly when he called her name, but that was all.  Ranma smiled when he saw the tender look in the doctor's eyes.  Things were definitely looking good for Kasumi.

"W-w-what do you need K-kasumi?" asked Dr. Tofu. 

"I finished transcribing the files from yesterday and you next appointment isn't until three o'clock so I am going to go to lunch with Nabiki."

"Alright K-kasumi. Please bring some lunch back for me, I don't think I will be going out today."

"Yes, doctor," Kasumi, answered with a bright smile as she shut the door.

"Wow! Kasumi doesn't bother you anymore!" Ranma observed.

"Yeah, I should have released her to go home a few days ago, but being close to her has done wonders for our relationship.  I just may ask her if she wants to keep working here and move into the apartment above the clinic."

"That would be great for Kasumi, she wouldn't have to focus on the family as much and could start looking towards her own future."

Dr. Tofu didn't answer, but instead kept moving his hands around Ranma. "Please, tell me the rest about your dreams.  I get the feeling that there is something that you are not telling me."

"Yeah there is. I haven't told anyone. Last night, when I woke-up from the last dream, I could have sworn I heard someone say 'Ranma, where are you when I need you?' Am I going crazy doc?"

"I don't think so Ranma," Dr. Tofu said with a smile, "I think this alien ki belongs to Akane.  I have seen her often enough that I should be able to know for sure, but the traces are so faint that I don't want to say for certain. Anyways, if this is Akane's ki maybe you two are linked in an extraordinary way.  The next time you have this dream, why don't you try calling out to Akane and see what happens, then let me know.  I am interested in how this condition of yours progresses."

"Sure thing doc," Ranma said as he headed for the door, "just as soon as I see you again."

          Cologne knew that Shampoo was angry with her; she could feel her aura even though Shampoo was in her bedroom.  She had taken her granddaughter to her room and told her to stay there until the morning.  Shampoo had not like this one bit, but that did not matter.  She had research to do, she needed to know what was happening so she would know how to plan for the future.  As she searched her trunks for the scroll she wanted she heard Shampoo open the door to her room and try to leave. She shook her head in dismay. She had placed a confinement spell on the door and window to Shampoo's room just as soon as she had closed the door, permanently sealing her in until they were removed.  She had never felt so guilty in her life, but not any longer.  She was now glad for her foresight.  The last thing she needed right now was her headstrong granddaughter to go looking for the Saotome boy.

          Finally, Cologne felt her hand close on the scroll that she had been looking for.  All the information that she needed about Ranma's condition should be written on these pages.  Carefully she unrolled the silk bound paper on her bed, sat down and began to read.

******************************

When the great evil wakes 

And walks the land,

Who will save the world

From its deadly hand.

A young Amazon warrior 

With her mate by her side,

Will train and fight,

In love to abide.

A special connection

The two will share,

As the life force travels,

Between the pair.

And the powers of one,

Belong to the other,

The world to save,

The evil to smother.

Two hearts will bond,

Two souls are bound,

One love will be,

Our salvation found.

*************************************

          Cologne cackled after she finished reading the ancient prophecy.  According to this Ranma was one half of the pair that would save the world, and if that was the case then Shampoo would have to be the other half; she was, after all, the only Amazon he was engaged to.

*************************************

Please review what my story!  I need your criticism, praise and ideas.  They inspire me to write more and to try and make it better.

I hope you all have enjoyed this chapter!  I will have the chapter eight out next week if everything goes right.

Till then,

SeongMi


	8. 

Well, here is the next chapter just like I promised. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.  
  
Please review when you read, your reviews motivate me to continue on with the story.  
  
  
  
Starry Night  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
  
  
  
  
Ranma opened the door to the clinic and started to head for the street that would take him back home. He probably should have taken to the rooftops to save time, but instead he found himself mulling over what Dr. Tofu had told him. If Akane was the girl in his dreams then he needed to find her and help her, hell he needed to find her even if she wasn't the girl. He just needed Akane. His pop had always told him that a true martial artist could have no weakness, that idea brought a chuckle to his lips. Well, he had a weakness, and he would probably always have that weakness, but that weakness seemed to make him stronger. Now all he had to do was find that weakness and keep her close to his side for the rest of his life, then he should have no problems.  
  
  
  
"Hello Ranma!" Kasumi said in her normal cheery voice, "Nabiki and I were waiting on you so we all could go and get lunch."  
  
  
  
"No thank you Kasumi," Ranma replied, "I really need to leave so I can find Akane."  
  
  
  
"I won't take no for an answer." Kasumi said in a stern voice. "You need to have food in your stomach for your journey, and besides your mom is still preparing food for you."  
  
  
  
Ranma looked at Kasumi and knew that he would never be able to say no to her. He looked to Nabiki for help, but she had wisely decided to keep her mouth closed for the time being, she did not want to be on Kasumi's bad side.  
  
  
  
"Let's go Kasumi," Ranma said, "but make it quick, I've wasted too much time as it is."  
  
  
  
Kasumi gave Ranma a big, bright smile then said, "Well then, let's head to Uchan's!"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Akane stood on the deck of the ship trying to find a way to escape all of the crewmen that seemed to be surrounding her. The only way to go was back towards the stern of the ship; she turned to look that way and noticed the mooring line. A surge of fear started to rise in her, she didn't want to cross over the water, she didn't want to risk falling in. She didn't have a choice though. The mooring line was the only option left to her, other than jumping in the water and swimming towards shore, and she was like a lead weight in the water. Without further thought, Akane turned and ran for the mooring line. Gracefully she jumped onto the side of the ship, and then down onto the massive rope that held the ship to the dock. She tried not to look down at the water as she ran, she tried to keep her eyes straight ahead, but every few steps she would look down to make sure her feet would not betray her. The terror she was feeling started to slowly disappear as she got further down the rope, and her confidence started to grow. Ranma had once told her that if she would just keep moving and not think too much about her balance that she could do something like this, and he had been right she could do it!  
  
  
  
A flood of relief washed over her body as she felt the solid wood of the dock come under her feet, she wanted to stop and shout for joy at her victory. The crewmen were not far behind her though, so she just kept moving instead. As she ran she could hear the men behind her yelling something in Mandarin; she didn't have to wait long to figure out what they were saying as she noticed some men up ahead turn and start to head her direction. How was she going to deal with all of these men? They weren't like the boys she used to have to fight every morning. These men were a lot bigger and more muscular. Would she be able to stand-up to them all by herself? She started to scan the buildings around her for yet another way to escape when salvation found her in the form of Ryoga.  
  
  
  
"Ryoga! What are you doing here?" Akane quickly stopped by his side.  
  
  
  
"Hey Akane! What are you doing in China? I got lost again trying to find Nerima." Ryoga said turning to face Akane.  
  
  
  
"How did you know you were in China?"  
  
  
  
"The signs are written in Mandarin. Are those men chasing you?"  
  
  
  
"Yeah, I kind of stowed away on their ship to get here." Akane said with shame on her face. "Can you help me with them."  
  
  
  
Ryoga turned so he was back to back with Akane and said, "I would give my life for you, but you should just stand back and let me take care of them."  
  
  
  
"NO!" Akane said vehemently as the circle of burly men closed in around them, "I am a martial artist just like the rest of you, and I will help to defend myself. Please don't take that away from me."  
  
  
  
"I don't like the idea at all, but if this is what you want then I will give it to you. Don't be surprised if I push you out of the way though," Ryoga said as he punched the first man in the kidney. His frequent fights with Ranma had increased his speed to the point that most people couldn't touch him.  
  
  
  
"Thank you, Ryoga!" Akane said as she spun and delivered a hard kick to the side of a crewman's knee, he went down fast. She then stepped to the left and jabbed the man coming from that direction in the nose, then dropped and brought her elbow up into the crotch of the man coming up behind her. She hadn't realized how fast all those swing and dodge sparring matches with Ranma had made her.  
  
  
  
In just a matter of minutes Ryoga and Akane had defeated all fifteen of the crewmen that had been surrounding them. Ryoga quickly grabbed Akane by the waist and jumped to the roof of the closest building. Soon they were flying from rooftop to rooftop to put as much distance as possible between them and any reinforcements that the captain might send. Akane was enjoying the view and the feel of the wind in her face, but the usual exhilaration that she felt from such rides was missing. Maybe that was because Ryoga was carrying her and not Ranma.  
  
  
  
Ryoga jumped down to the street as he neared the outskirt of the city and set Akane back onto the ground.  
  
  
  
"I'm sorry I grabbed you like that Akane," Ryoga said while looking at the ground instead of Akane.  
  
  
  
"Don't worry about it Ryoga," Akane said as she started to walk down the street, "you only did what you thought you had to do." She walked on for several minutes in silence. There were only small houses in this part of the town and she could see a wooded land to the west; she turned and headed for the wood.  
  
.  
  
"By-the-way, thank you for helping me back there," Akane said as she entered the wood. After a few more minutes of silence she looked back over her shoulder to see why Ryoga wasn't answering and wasn't surprised when she realized he wasn't there.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Spotty sunlight filled the valley as the demon finally finished materializing from the crystal. It looked up to the sky and noted that there would be rain soon, but that was of no consequence to him, water didn't bother him. As long as things didn't get too hot or too cold it would be just fine for now. For the first time in centuries it's feet touched the soil of the earth as it began to walk away from it's prison, the earth shuddered at it's passing. It stopped when it reached the ring of stones and picked up the one that had fallen out of placement during the earthquake, the one that had enabled him to crack the crystal, and threw it high up into the mountains with a strength that few could rival. A wicked laugh filled the air as the demon crossed the circle where the one stone had been removed, the magic could not touch it there, it was safe. If it had tried to cross at any other point in the circle then lightening would have come down and engulfed its body, and would have left it writhing in pain. It would have to steer clear of that for now, it was still gaining strength.  
  
  
  
The heavens opened up and rain began to pour down in the valley, almost as if the Kami were trying to cleanse the earth of the demon's evil stench and vileness. The demon just looked up at the overcast sky and laughed, nothing would hamper it in making this world a habitable place for it to live and rule. As if anything could stop him now, all these humans were weak pliable things, and the pair who stopped him last time died a long time ago. There was no one left who could stand up to him.  
  
  
  
A slight twinge in his side brought his mind back to the task at hand. He needed to find a host body and fast, he could not survive in this world with the environment as it is, but first he must find his pet and awaken him. Then the two of them would rein terror on the earth from the skies.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Choon Li was an old druid who lived by himself in the wilds of China. His exile was not exactly the kind of lifestyle he would have chosen for himself, it was the one that had been necessary. He had been a very happy child in his youth, growing-up in the Amazon village with his mother and sisters. He had lots of friends and was well liked by everyone, then one day something had happened to change all of that. He had not meant to do anything to the other boy, he was just a little mad at the boy and had lost control; he had cast his first spell, and it was something to be seen. A gust of wind came swooping down from the east and lifted the little boy into the air, then it sent him crashing back down to the earth. Choon Li wasn't even given the time to try to explain what had happened, or to see how the boy was. The city guards had rushed in and taken him straight to the elder's hut, he was so scared. He was sure that the elders were going to spank him for harming the other child, but instead they just stared at him, to Choon Li that ended up being a lot worse.  
  
  
  
For hours he stood perfectly still as the wizened old women just stared at him, he wasn't sure what they were looking for, but he was sure he wasn't going to like it when they found it. Finally, they all turned and looked at the woman in the center of the line, the head of the village, and nodded their heads at the same time. She, elder Soon Hee, called his mother's name, and she stepped forward. He didn't know when she had arrived or how long she had been watching; all he did know was that he was in major trouble now. The conversation that ensued was a very short one to say the least. The Honored Elder had informed his mother that he had extraordinary magical abilities, and that they had been waiting for his appearance for a very long time. The druid who was currently standing watch was getting very old, and a new one needed to be trained to replace him. The council had decided to send the boy to the druid so he could be properly trained and could take over the watch of the valley.  
  
  
  
Now, here he stood fifty years later at the brink of the valley using his magic to monitor what was happening inside the valley, and he did not like what he had felt. The tremor that had passed through the valley had been a minor one and had caused very little damage, but the circle didn't feel right anymore. He wasn't sure if it had been broken or not, he just knew that it wasn't right.  
  
  
  
His wife would be coming from the village in a few days to bring him a new months worth of supplies, and a few nights of companionship. He would normally try to be rested for her visits, but not this time. He was going to have to spend all of his time in meditation until he knew for certain what it was that he felt, then he would have to prepare a report. He just hoped that what he thought had happened hadn't, and that the demon was still locked in the crystal.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Hello Kasumi, Nabiki, Ranma honey!" Ukyou said with a huge smile as she saw them enter the restaurant. She had been afraid that she might never see Ranma again after their last conversation, he had seemed to still be mad about the whole wedding fiasco. Maybe he had finally come to his senses and realized that Akane was no good for him, and she was all he needed.  
  
  
  
"Good afternoon, Ukyou!" all three answered at the same time.  
  
  
  
"Where would you guys like to sit?"  
  
  
  
"In a booth please," Nabiki replied, "we have some things we need to talk about."  
  
  
  
"But, my Ranma honey always sits at the counter where he can be near to me," Ukyou said with a pouty look on her face.  
  
  
  
"Listen Ukyou," Ranma said before anyone else could speak-up, "you are a great friend and all, but I am not your honey. Will you please just call me Ranma like everyone else, I don't want people to get the wrong idea about us."  
  
  
  
"What idea could they get," Ukyou said as she stopped by a booth on the far wall, "I am the cute fiancée after all."  
  
  
  
"You are cute Ukyou, but you are not a fiancée anymore. I will find a way to make-up for what my father did to you, but I will not marry you."  
  
  
  
Ukyou stared at Ranma as he sat in the seat and dismissed her with a finality that left an empty feeling in the pit of her stomach.  
  
  
  
"This has something to do with the my ruining your wedding doesn't it?" Ukyou asked in a very quiet voice.  
  
  
  
"Some of decision has to do with the wedding. I could never marry someone who would willingly hurt another person to get me, but the biggest reason is how you treated Akane. The wedding was supposed to be her day, the happiest day of her life and you ruined it. I still want to be friends with you Ukyou, but not at the cost of Akane."  
  
  
  
A tear could be seen making its way down Ukyou's face as she nodded her understanding of Ranma's statement. She walked back to the grill with her head held high and defiant, not knowing how else to act in this kind of a situation.  
  
  
  
"Oh, the poor girl," Kasumi said as she got up and went to Ukyou and wrapped her arms around the girl.  
  
  
  
"I know what it is like to have the person you love tell you that they don't feel the same," Kasumi whispered in her ear. "I am so sorry that this had to happen to you."  
  
  
  
"Did you know? Did everyone know how Ranma felt about Akane?" Ukyou asked as more tears poured down her face.  
  
  
  
"Pretty much everyone but you, Shampoo and Kodachi, but we don't count Kodachi because she lives in her own little world," Kasumi said with a sympathetic smile.  
  
  
  
"Ranma and Akane knew that they loved each other, but they didn't tell us? How could they do that to me?" Ukyou stated, and she began to sob. She had been standing there crying on Kasumi's shoulder for a while when felt the girl's arms being removed from around her, and stronger more muscular ones take their place. Ranma had come to comfort her; she wasn't sure she wanted him there but didn't move away from him either. The sound of okonomiyaki being cooked was dancing around the edges of her senses, and was suddenly glad that Konatsu was there to help her.  
  
  
  
After she had cried for a few more minutes Ranma pulled her back from his chest so he could see her face. She was overwhelmed by the look of concern she saw there, and a little disappointed to notice that the tenderness that he showed with Akane was missing. Had things always been this way? How could she never notice that she wasn't his all?  
  
  
  
"Ukyou, I never wanted to hurt you. Now you are crying and everything, this is why I never told you," Ranma said in a soft voice.  
  
  
  
"How long have you loved Akane? Did I ever have a chance?" Ukyou asked, wanting to know the answer but at the same time afraid to receive one.  
  
  
  
"I really don't want to hurt you anymore Ukyou." Ranma said, but then gave in when he saw the pleading look in her eyes. "I have loved Akane every since I first met her, and sometimes I think I loved her even before that. This is so hard to explain; I'm not good at this stuff."  
  
  
  
"Can you try please? You owe me an explanation" Ukyou said in- between sniffs.  
  
  
  
Ranma closed his eyes and thought for a second before continuing. "Every town that Pop and I have been to, the girls all seem to throw themselves at me. Don't get me wrong, I liked the attention, but it just never felt right. I was always looking for the right girl for me, but could never find her. Then Pop dragged me to the Tendo's, I met Akane and things started to make sense to me. All the pieces of my life began to fit together."  
  
  
  
"Why didn't you let everyone know? I let everyone know about the one I love."  
  
  
  
"Think about this Ukyou, if I had even given my dad the slightest idea that I liked Akane, I would be married right now. I wasn't ready then, we were still learning about each other. Then when I was ready to let people know you came, and Shampoo came, and I didn't want to hurt anyone" Ranma didn't finish his sentence in the hopes that Ukyou would understand.  
  
  
  
"And it just got easier to deny that you had feelings for her because of Shampoo." Ukyou finished for him, understanding dawning in her eyes.  
  
  
  
"And sometimes because of you too." Ranma said.  
  
  
  
"What have I done to Akane, well besides the wedding." Ukyou said.  
  
  
  
"Remember when I had Happosai's band-aid stuck on my nose?" Ranma asked he waited to continue until he was sure she knew what he was talking about. "The drug on that band-aid made me want to please everyone, remember? You and Shampoo were willing to eliminate each other and Akane to get me. The only one who wanted to take the band-aid off my nose was Akane, she was the only one who cared about what I would want."  
  
  
  
"So I never had a chance did I?"  
  
  
  
"I don't think anyone ever did." Ranma said as he let go of Ukyou and sat down at the counter. "We are still friends right?"  
  
  
  
"I don't know. I don't know if I can just be a friend with you." Ukyou replied.  
  
  
  
"Well, I need a favor. Just consider it one last favor between friends and then I won't come around anymore if you don't want me to."  
  
  
  
"What is it?"  
  
  
  
"I am leaving town today so I can look for Akane. I think I have an idea of where she is, but I need to leave today. Mr. Tendo and my Pop have started teaching classes again, and I was supposed to help them teach some of the classes. Can you fill in for me while I am gone?"  
  
  
  
"Sure Ranma honey. I mean Ranma."  
  
  
  
Ranma smiled when he heard her correct herself; maybe she was finally starting to understand. "Give my Pop a call tomorrow and let him know when you are available, and thank you Ukyou."  
  
  
  
Ranma didn't give her anytime to respond to his last statement. He couldn't stand to see her hurting anymore, he just took the to go boxes from Konatsu and went out the door, never looking back.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Caves lined every wall of the valley that the demon was in, and in one of those caves was it's pet. It needed to find it's pet, but searching every cave was becoming a very tiresome chore. It had no other choice though, the Amazons must have put an inhibiting spell on it's pet because the demon could not sense it's ki. Patience. It must have patience and everything would come together the way it wanted.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The late evening sky was full of stars and looked beautiful when Ranma stepped off the train. He had just arrived in the port city that Akane had been in a few days ago, now if he could just find the hotel. He took that paper that Nabiki had given him out of his pocket and read the name she had written there, the Beachside Hilton. Hopefully some employee there would remember Akane and possibly know where she was headed.  
  
  
  
"Hey," Ranma said to an attendant that was walking by, "can you tell me where the Beachside Hilton is?"  
  
  
  
"Yes sir, go down this road two blocks and then turn right, you can't miss it."  
  
  
  
"Thank you!" Ranma said as he started to walk down the street. Tonight he was going to find out where Akane was; he could feel it in his bones. He put his hand in his right pocket and pulled out his picture of Akane, you could tell that he carried it everywhere with him as it was worn around the edges, but that didn't matter to him as long as he could still see her beautiful face. Who could he ask at this late hour if they had seen Akane? Besides the hotel clerk, he wasn't really sure. He just felt that he would find the person who knew tonight.  
  
  
  
Ranma rounded the corner and saw the hotel a few more blocks down across the street from the ocean; he didn't head for it though instead he went to the beach. The sound of the waves breaking on the sand reminded him of when Akane and he had been on Toma's island. Akane had been wearing that white dress and had looked so gorgeous. He still couldn't believe that she was willing to marry that boy just so he could be cured of his curse. He would much rather live with that forever than lose her.  
  
  
  
A lone figure came wandering up the beach just out of the reach of the water. Ranma watched the figure intently before calling out, "Hey Ryoga, you lost again?"  
  
  
  
"Ranma! What have you done with Akane? I was just with her a few hours ago!" Ryoga was able to yell just before a wave hit him and he turned into a pig.  
  
  
  
"Come on Ryoga," Ranma said as he picked-up the pig and it's belongings, "I was going to check into the hotel across the street, I guess you can stay with me. Just stay in my pack until we get to the room, they may not allow pets in here.  
  
  
  
Ranma had just finished closing his pack by the time he reached the front door of the hotel. The place looked very impressive from the outside, he could only imagine what the rooms looked like.  
  
  
  
"Hello?" Ranma called out at the front desk. "I need a room for the night. Is anyone here?"  
  
  
  
"Oh sorry, sir!" the clerk called out as he came out of the office. "How may I help you?"  
  
  
  
"I need a room for the night," Ranma said while handing the clerk the bankcard Nabiki had given him to use.  
  
  
  
The clerk took the card and swiped it through the credit card machine, then began typing information into the computer. "Thank you very much Mr. Saotome. You will be in room 201."  
  
  
  
Ranma took the key and then handed Akane's picture to the clerk. "Have you seen my wife, she was supposed to meet me here."  
  
  
  
"No sir, not that I remember."  
  
  
  
"Thank you." Ranma said and slowly went to his room.  
  
  
  
Once he got there, he threw himself on the bed in a fit of anger. He had been so sure that he would find Akane tonight that he actually gotten excited, and now here he was with his hopes dashed once again. He just lay there feeling depressed and sorry for himself and would have been perfectly content to stay that way if Ryoga hadn't worked his way out of Ranma's pack.  
  
  
  
"Sorry about that man." Ranma said rather half-heartedly as he took Ryoga to the sink and doused him with hot water. He politely turned his head as the other boy immediately headed for his pack and put his clothes back on his body.  
  
  
  
"Ranma!" Ryoga said when he finished dressing, "What is this I hear about you meeting your wife here? What have you done with Akane! Don't her feelings mean more to you than this?"  
  
  
  
"Calm down Ryoga! Akane is my wife."  
  
  
  
"What!" Ryoga yelled.  
  
  
  
"No, she isn't really my wife!" Ranma floundered. "Listen, just listen for a second. Akane decided that she needed a break from Nerima, she was tired of me having so many fiancées and I think she was tired of me not doing anything about it. Anyway, to make a long story short, she left Nerima but not as Akane Tendo, she had her name changed to Akane Saotome. Now I am trying to find her so I can bring her back home."  
  
  
  
"What if she doesn't want to go back home with you? I mean she did leave you."  
  
  
  
"I'll just have to cross that bridge when I get there."  
  
  
  
"So what are you going to do about all of your fiancées then, Ranma?" Ryoga asked in the hopes that Ranma was going to choose someone other than Akane. "I mean that was the whole reason she left."  
  
  
  
"That's just it, the day she left I was going to propose to her for real. Not because of our parents or family honor, just because I love her." Ranma watched the hopeful look in Ryoga's eyes vanish as he said this. He knew that Ryoga had a crush on Akane and had hoped that Ranma would not choose to marry her so that he could have a chance.  
  
  
  
"I see." Ryoga said very quietly. "Do you promise to take care of her?"  
  
  
  
"I always take care of her. Haven't I proved that time after time?"  
  
  
  
"Will you not hurt her?"  
  
  
  
"I will never hurt her intentionally. I know that sometimes I say things without thinking, but I am working on that."  
  
  
  
"In that case Ranma, I will help you."  
  
  
  
"Good, we can start showing people her picture tomorrow and asking if they have seen her."  
  
  
  
"No," Ryoga interrupted Ranma, "you don't understand. I was with Akane earlier in the day before I got lost again. I know where she was this afternoon."  
  
  
  
Ryoga paused at that admission to see what kind of a response he would get from Ranma and was pleased to see his face light-up and the eager look in his eyes.  
  
  
  
"Well, where was she?"  
  
  
  
"A port city in China."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
@-----------------------------------  
  
  
  
If you have any questions or comments please leave a review! (Don't I sound like a salesperson? I just really enjoy receiving reviews because then I know you like the story.) If you don't feel comfortable leaving the message in a review, feel free to e-mail me. Just make sure to put starry night in the subject line.  
  
See you next week,  
  
SeongMi 


	9. 

Sorry this chapter took so long to get out, but you know, life happens.  
  
Remember all the usual stuff that no one reads….I don't own Ranma, and I sure don't make any money off of it. (short, snappish and to the point…)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Starry Night  
  
Chapter Nine  
  
  
  
  
  
The warm water of the furo swirled around Nabiki's body as she leaned back and closed her eyes. When she had decided to take a hot bath she had hoped that the water would help her to relax, but it just wasn't working. She had an important decision to make by dinner and she just would not be able to relax until she did so. She had been so surprised when Cologne had called her on the phone earlier in the day. Apparently, she and Shampoo were going on an extended trip to China for some village meeting and were leaving Mouse in charge of the restaurant. Nabiki thought it was odd for Cologne to be telling her all of the plans for their trip, it was almost as if the old hag wanted something from her.  
  
  
  
Finally, after hearing their itinerary for the next few days, Cologne asked the question that had put Nabiki in the state of mind she was currently in. Would she be willing to stay at the restaurant and help Mousse manage it. Cologne had explained that Mousse knew how to prepare all the food and how to prepare for the customers, but he was no good with numbers. She would need Nabiki to help keep the books and to help order supplies and such. Cologne had even extende1d the use of her room over the restaurant to Nabiki, that way she would not have to walk home late at night. Mousse could handle the lunch crowd by himself as long as he did not accept any takeout orders, that way she could still go to school in the morning. Cologne had even thought about her homework. She could get most of that done during the slow period between the lunch and dinner rush. This opportunity was just too promising for Nabiki to pass-up. She would be getting real hands-on experience managing a business in her first year of college, that would look extremely good on her resume. That decided the whole problem for her, now all she had to do was explain her decision to her dad.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Cologne and Shampoo were sitting on a train heading north. They were heading for the coastal town of Oga, from there they were going to catch a boat for China, and then they were going to meet with the village elders. Shampoo did not understand why this journey was so important, and she did not understand why Cologne felt so strongly about her going along. Truth be known, she would have much rather stayed in Nerima with Ranma. He needed her now that Akane was gone. Even though she may act like an idiot, she was not stupid. Ranma did not love her, she knew this and accepted the fact. He loved Akane. Now that Akane was gone though, she needed to be there to support and comfort him. He would need her to help him through the pain of rejection, and then, when his heart was ready, he would realize that she was the woman for him. The one who would never let him down.  
  
  
  
She sighed to herself as she glanced at the sleeping form of her great-grandmother. She had never questioned her grandmother before, but she really didn't belong here. She was needed in other places. If her grandmother had listened to her then she would have seen that she should be running the restaurant, not Nabiki and Mousse. This was one of the things her grandmother had been teaching her to do in Nerima, the other one was how to make Ranma happy. Well, at least she had mastered running the restaurant. What was she going to do with herself while her grandmother was in closed conference with the elders? Maybe if she asked her grandmother nicely enough she could enter the annual tournament to see whom the strongest, most skilled warrior was. She would win this year; there was no doubt of that. After fighting with Ranma, and by his side, she had improved beyond almost every warrior in their tribe. Now all she had to do was convince her grandmother.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Ono-clinic was dark, except for a few candles burning on the desk in Dr. Tofu's office. The smell of delicious food wafted through the front doors and out onto the street, tempting people with its tantalizing aroma as they walked by. Inside the office, Kasumi's eyes were alive with pleasure as she watched Dr. Tofu enjoy the meal she had prepared earlier in the day. The meal was not a spur of the moment idea; she had been thinking for quite awhile about how she was going to get him alone in a romantic situation. Especially since he was overly pleased that he could now speak to her in a coherent manner and seemed to be making no moves to take their relationship to the next level. Normally Kasumi would have been her passive self and let the situation work itself out, but not this time. Too much time had already passed; too many chances had been given and now she was going to take matters into her own hand. This was her chance for eternal happiness with the man she had been in love with forever, and there was no way she was going to wait anymore.  
  
  
  
"How was dinner, Tofu?" Kasumi asked.  
  
A loud gulp could be heard coming from Dr. Tofu's direction as he looked up and noticed that he was now nose to nose with Kasumi. Two big, beautiful, brown eyes starring right into the depths of his very being, tempting him to close the distance between them and do what he had been dreaming of for so long. Slowly he leaned closer to her, watching her intently as her eyelids fluttered closed, and they kissed. The sensation of her soft lips on his sent shivers up and down his spine and left him longing for more. Now was not the time though, they needed to take things more slowly and Kasumi needed to experience life on her own. She needed to be able to do things for herself and not her family for a while, and the first step in that would have to be her moving out of the dojo. He had the perfect idea for that.  
  
  
  
"Kasumi, I have been thinking," Tofu said without stuttering, "I need a person who can help me here part of the day. The patient loads in the mornings are light, but the afternoons can get so hectic that I have problems keeping up. The loft above the clinic has been empty since I moved, so whoever fills the position can live there for free as long as they take care of it. This would be an idea opportunity for someone who is in school, or maybe wants to go back to school. Do you know anyone who might be looking for a job?"  
  
  
  
Kasumi stared in wonder at Tofu. How had he known that lately she had been thinking about all the sacrifices she had made for her family? She really didn't mind having to give things up, but she had desperately wanted to go to college. That hadn't happened though; her father never fully recovered from the loss of her mother so she had to stay at home and look after everyone. The future seemed to be staring her right in the face. Not only could she go to school, but she would also be able to do things all for herself! She wouldn't even feel guilty either, not with Auntie Nodoka taking care of her father and Akane. She could finally be free to live her life. Then there was Tofu to think about. Their relationship had grown since she had started staying at the clinic that living there permanently should make it bloom even more. There was no way she would pass up this opportunity; she would just have to find a way to make her father understand.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Nodoka was in the kitchen preparing a special tray of tea for Soun and Genma to drink while she put the finishing touches on dinner. She knew that Soun and Genma would never leave their game to come into the kitchen, but her heart raced anyways as she measured a tiny amount of white powder into the bottom of one cup. The white powder was not poisonous; even though Nodoka had wished it was the first time she had heard Soun wail over Akane's leaving. No, this was merely a medication given to her by Dr. Tofu to help Soun ease into his daughter's adulthood. He had explained to her that the medication would help Soun to control his emotions so he wouldn't be so weepy all the time. She didn't mind giving Soun his medicine; she rather liked his quiet, gentle manner. What she didn't like was the fact that Kasumi and Nabiki insisted she not tell him. They told her that the less their daddy knew the better because they did not want him to break down emotionally again. She wasn't sure what had happened to Soun in the past, but if sitting in the corner and crying until he sat in a puddle was normal, then she didn't want to see a breakdown.  
  
  
  
She had contemplated giving him more than the normal amount tonight because the girls had some big news that she was certain would upset him, but she didn't want to take the chance of overdosing him. Besides, if she overdosed him she would have to start making mop water instead of just cleaning up after him, and she rather liked not having to carry a heavy bucket around the house. Now if she could only get him to cry in the kitchen and the dojo once a week, then her life would be so much easier.  
  
"Soun, Genma dear, come and have some tea to help you relax before dinner," Nodoka said as she set the cups in their respective places at the table.  
  
  
  
"Thank you dear," Genma said with a smile and started to get up from the game. He winced a little and had to put a hand down to help push himself the rest of the way up. He thought he was in good shape from sparring with Ranma, boy was he wrong. The rigorous schedule he followed now was a lot more demanding that a half hour sparring session every morning and then lazing around the rest of the day. He was sure his body would adjust with time. Hopefully Kasumi would come back home before then and save him from his wife.  
  
  
  
Genma looked at his life-long friend after he had stood-up and chuckled, Soun was having just as many problems getting off the floor as he had. He obviously wasn't the only out-of-shape martial artist around the house.  
  
  
  
"Need some help, Tendo?"  
  
  
  
"No Saotome, I think I can manage it. I haven't been this sore since we trained with the master."  
  
  
  
"Maybe we should talk to Nodoka and let her know that she is expecting to much out of us."  
  
"You know what Saotome? I haven't felt this good in ages! Helping around the house, teaching classes, taking care of my girls. I feel useful again."  
  
  
  
Genma sighed as he sat down. He was counting on Soun to have his back when he went to talk to Nodoka. He was tired of working, tired of helping, tired of not being able to do what he wanted to do when he wanted to do it. That was the main reason behind him taking Ranma on the extended training trip. No one would bother him, he was free to do as he pleased. Maybe he should leave on another trip soon, maybe Ranma needed help finding Akane and who could give better support than him. A scheme started to form in his mind about how he could get him way. He would be extremely loving to Nodoka, he would romance her and make her pliable, then he would explain that his son needed him now and that he would return as soon as possible. Yes, that is what he would do! He would find a way out of the house and then he would only have to worry about himself again.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Little golden beams of sunlight shone through the brown and green dappled leaves of the forest canopy. They tried desperately to illuminate the dim landscape, but only succeeded in leaving behind tiny pools of light amid the darkness. Akane knew that night was fast approaching just by looking at the growing shadows all around her. Darkness would soon be upon her and she still had not found a suitable clearing to set up camp in. She would have to find a spot quickly so she could finish all of the chores that needed to be done yet. She needed to set up her tent, find firewood and make something to eat. Hopefully she would be done before the night got too dark; she did not relish the idea of spending the night without a fire. The chill in the air at this time of the year was not bad, in fact she was pretty sure the night would prove to be fairly warm. What she was worried about were the things lurking in the forest at night, especially since her dreams had started. The fire would help her see what was around her and hopefully help her feel safe.  
  
  
  
A sudden noise to her left caused Akane to look quickly in that direction. A flock of birds had taken flight from a clearing not more than twenty yards away from her, it was almost as if they were trying to lead her in the right direction. The grass covered clearing was very lovely with flowers growing randomly and a brook bubbling softly in the background. This was the perfect place for her to set camp up at. She was planning on staying her for a few days so she could rest and train. Even though she was enchanted with the spot and water was plentiful here, she didn't want to stay in one spot for too long. Knowing Ranma he was probably out somewhere looking for her, and she didn't want to be found. She didn't think that he would follow her to China, but you could never be too sure with Ranma. There was also Ryoga to think about. He had been with her just this morning before he got lost again, and there was no telling where or when he would turn up. She needed to remember that just in case Ranma ran across him before she did.  
  
  
  
The campsite was easier to set up than Akane had anticipated. Recently every time she had gone camping Ranma had gone with her and had been in charge of setting up the tents while she had been in charge of gathering firewood. That had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now that she had to put up her own tent she wasn't sure if she would remember how. Luckily this task seemed to be riding a bike, you just instinctively remembered how it was done. When she was finished with the tent, Akane quickly gathered enough firewood for the night and started a fire. She desperately wanted to get to the brook so she could take a quick bath to wash the stench of all the fish out of her hair and clothes; she would need the fire to warm her when she returned.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Just as soon as the dark haired girl let left the campsite for the brook, stealthy shadows slinked out of the surrounding foliage. Each shape was careful to remain in the shadows of the trees, carefully hidden from roaming eyes. Slowly they encircled the area and watched. Off in the distance the call of a lone bird could be heard; it was the signal they had been waiting for. Without making a sound four beautiful, muscular women emerged from the shadows. The fading sunlight in the clearing was just bright enough to accentuate the highlights in their brown hair. They were all dressed in shorts and skin tight t-shirts that showed off their ample curves. A type of camouflage matching the colors of the forest had been painted on each of their faces; only their weapons seemed to be different. One girl was carrying a crossbow and had a quiver on her back, the second had a short sword strapped to her waist, the third was carrying what looked like a morning star, and the fourth had a pair of bonbori.  
  
  
  
Quickly, the girls entered the dark haired girl's tent and started to look through her stuff. They searched for anything that might be used to harm their tribe; except for a knife, their search was fruitless. This was a good sign though, the girls had been following the dark haired one since she entered the woods and they knew that she was alone. The fact that she carried no weapons of potential threat further proved her to be of no harm, but they would still watch her for a few days. Their tribe had been in many battles over the centuries, and they had acquired so many enemies that they had to be cautious. Guards were constantly patrolling the woods around their village. They were the first line of defense against all of the enemies that threatened the sanctity of their way of life. If this dark haired girl turned out to know the ways of magic or potion making then they would have stop her before she could destroy their home. They would gladly give their lives to preserve their traditions.  
  
  
  
A shrill whistle sounding in the woods alerted the girls that the dark haired girl was returning to the area. They quickly put her belongings back in her pack and sprinted for the trees, there they concealed themselves from sight once again. The leader of the guards made several quick movements with her hands and set everyone in motion. For a few seconds there was a flurry of silent movement in the trees as the orders were efficiently carried out. In the end only four guards left on the perimeter of the clearing, the four that had searched the tent. They were the honored ones that were chosen to stand watch and report any questionable activities to their leader. Before anything else could be accomplished they would need to decide which of them was going to watch the dark haired girl for the first part of the night; the girl with the bonbori quickly volunteered for the honor. The other three soon faded back into the woods to settle down for the night while their comrade found a spot from which she could see the entire camp. She then wrapped herself in a cloak and waited.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A cooling breeze blew down through the trees and across the koi pond, marring the lucid surface with tiny ripples and obscuring the face of the person who was gazing into its depths. He could sense a change coming; not just in the air, but in his life. The air around him seemed to resonate with change, almost as if there was no stopping it. Akane had left, Kasumi was staying at the clinic, Ranma went after Akane, the only one remaining was Nabiki. She would leave too though; he had known all along that she would leave. Nabiki had always been the brains of the family, the performer; so much like her mother. Soun had know from her first achievements at school that she would definitely go to college and master an art besides the art. That had to be the change he was sensing, Nabiki was going to head off to college. This line of thinking helped Soun to feel more secure for the moment, but deep down he knew that this was just the tip of the iceberg.  
  
  
  
"I'm home!" could be heard all throughout the house as Nabiki stepped through the front door. She had gone over the Nekohatten earlier in the day to try and get a feel for the establishment, and was now returning with an uncomfortable looking Mousse in tow. After closing the door, she pointed out a pair of house shoes to Mousse, quickly she realized her mistake when he tried to put on a pair of her heels. Rolling her eyes in disbelief, she quickly took his glasses off the top of his head and put them on this face so he could correct his mistake before changing into her own house shoes.  
  
"Nabiki, are you sure this is a good idea? I've seen how your father gets over you girls, and I am not sure I want to be here." Mousse said after he stood back up.  
  
  
  
"Yeah, its bound to be a good show. I need you to reassure my dad that Cologne said this is all right." Nabiki replied.  
  
  
  
"I know it's just that after everything Shampoo did to your family I didn't think I would be welcome here. She did things that are going to be pretty hard to forgive."  
  
  
  
"We had always let bygones be bygones until she bombed the wedding. That was completely unacceptable, and I don't think my family will ever forgive her for that. I take that back, they may forgive her but I probably never will."  
  
  
  
Mousse glanced at Nabiki for just a second and was completely shocked by what he saw there. The ice queen façade had slipped, if just for the briefest of seconds, and emotion flooded her eyes. Pain, anger and love all swirled to the surface of the mask she continuously wore and made her seem more human than the people he lived with. He had always thought that Nabiki was just like Cologne and Shampoo, only looking out for herself and what she wanted. Evidently he had been wrong. Self-seeking people would never be able to express the emotions that she had unless they themselves had been hurt. Maybe he should get to know her better.  
  
  
  
"I'm home!" Kasumi said as she opened the front door. "Hello Nabiki. Mousse, I haven't seen you in a while."  
  
  
  
Mousse studied Kasumi's face for any sign of anger before answering, "I've been staying close to the restaurant lately."  
  
  
  
"Well, you should come around more often. You are always welcome here!" Kasumi said with a very sincere smile.  
  
  
  
Nabiki stood back and watched the whole exchange with interest. She needed to know where her family stood with Mousse before she started working with him. Their support meant more than anything to her and she didn't want to lose it. Kasumi didn't seem to be flustered by Mousse's presence in the least, for that matter she seemed to literally be floating across the floor. There was also a glow about her that Nabiki couldn't quite put her fingers on. Maybe the good doctor was being very good to her.  
  
  
  
The door opened again and, to Nabiki's amazement, Dr. Tofu stepped into the house. He looked down at Kasumi and smiled at her in a way that made Nabiki's knees weak. She had never in her life witnessed such an intense intimacy that was expressed without touching, and the look in Kasumi's eyes was no less intense. There was a hunger there, a raw unveiled passion that was almost embarrassing to look at. Then, before Nabiki knew it, the moment was gone. The new couple turned their eyes towards Nabiki and Mousse and gave them a bashful smile as they reached for each other's hands. Their smiles grew brighter as their hands clasped, almost as if they were drawing strength from each other. Nabiki found herself growing slightly jealous over the entire scene; she never had anyone to share such deep feelings with. She would have to talk with Mousse later; he might be able to introduce her to someone.  
  
  
  
"Welcome home, Kasumi! I trust you are feeling well," Nodoka said with a smile on her face. She had just witnessed everything that had happened in the last few minutes and approved of Kasumi's choice. "Come sit in the living room, your father is waiting for you."  
  
  
  
"I would much rather assist you in the kitchen," Kasumi said with conflicting emotions. Part of her felt the need to take care of her family, but another part of her wanted to break free and take care of herself. This did not escape Nodoka's keen eye.  
  
  
  
"I thank you for the kind offer dear, but I am almost finished with the dinner preparations, besides you are still recovering. Go and relax, I will take care of all of this." Nodoka said with a motherly smile that spoke of her concern for the girl's welfare, physical and emotional.  
  
  
  
Kasumi was going to insist that she help, but then thought better of it and instead made her way to the living room with Dr. Tofu. Everyone in the living room turned and watched the couple as they walked over to the couch hand-in-hand, wondering what was going on. Kasumi never noticed this though, she was too busy worrying over how her father was going to react to her moving out and how she was going to handle him. She was sure that he was going to cry; he cried over every little thing anymore. What she didn't want was for him to disapprove, she needed his approval just as much as she craved his praise. That was probably why she had taken care of her family for as long as she had. She could not think of a way to leave and please him at the same time. Things would have probably been different if her mother were still alive then her father would not have been so dependent on her, she probably could have found different ways to please him them, but that was not meant to be. Instead here she was a housemaid to her father; a young woman with tremendous potential that wanted more for herself, but wasn't quite sure how to achieve it. Hopefully, with Auntie Nodoka living in the house, things would change for the better. There were already signs of improvement in the household. All the little odd jobs around the house were being done, and her father was teaching classes again. His whole demeanor was improving also; he seemed to be finding his confidence once again. This was a very good thing, he had been so unsure of himself since their mother had died, it was almost as if a part of him died also and now it seemed as if it were being reborn. Maybe tonight would go smoothly after all.  
  
  
  
Dinner was a very solemn affair. Everyone there seemed to know that something big was about to happen, everyone except for Genma who seemed oblivious to the world as he chomped down on his food. No words were spoken by anyone present as the meal progressed; each person was lost in their own thoughts about what the future held for them. After he was sure everyone was finished eating, he broached the subject that both girls had been dreading.  
  
"So girls, what are you planning on doing the next few weeks?" Soun asked with a weak smile on his face. He had been hoping for good news, Nabiki would tell him that she was going to go to a college close to home and Kasumi would be healthy enough to return to him. He knew better though, he could tell by the look on their faces. Nabiki looked at him defiantly as if she were steeling herself for a confrontation with an uncertain outcome. Kasumi's face looked ashen, and he was certain she was clutching Tofu's hand under the table. This couldn't be good.  
  
  
  
"Well daddy," Nabiki started after a nod from Kasumi, "as you know I am going to start college next week. I went ahead and chose the college close to home so I stay with the family, but things have changed since then."  
  
  
  
Soun looked at his daughter with a fear growing in his heart. His glance went back and forth between Mousse and Nabiki as his mind started to go over several different things that could be wrong. He did not like the outcome of any of them.  
  
  
  
"Daddy, I'm shocked!" Nabiki said as she guessed at her father's thoughts. "Mousse is just my friend and nothing more! Now, if you'd listen to me I could tell you about the offer I received from Cologne."  
  
  
  
Nabiki watched the expression on her father's face change from anger to pride as she told him about running the restaurant while Cologne was gone on her trip. The whole thing was going better than she thought it would, her dad wasn't crying yet and he seemed to be considering what she was saying. As she finished the carefully prepared speech, Soun crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. He stayed this way for several minutes before he began to speak.  
  
  
  
"Nabiki, you have always been the most independent of my children. You have always wanted to do everything on your own, to take care of yourself, and to make something of yourself. I have never worried about you because I knew how responsible you were. Even though you are very responsible, you have never thought much about you reputation. What will people think about you if you are living with a man you are not married to?"  
  
  
  
"Gee Daddy, you let Ranma live here with Akane and didn't worry about her reputation," Nabiki replied with a hurt tone in her voice.  
  
  
  
"There is no need to worry, sir" Mousse said when he noticed Nabiki falter. "I have already thought about that. My room is on the bottom floor of the restaurant by the storeroom and Nabiki's room is upstairs, so I installed a locking door at the top of the stairs. The only person who will have the keys to that door is Nabiki."  
  
  
  
"Good thinking, son!" Soun said with a note of respect in his voice. "In that case, I have no problems with my daughter helping you. I trust you to continue to take care of her."  
  
  
  
Soun noticed Mousse blush at his last comment, but said nothing of it as he turned his attention to Kasumi. "What do you have to tell me daughter?"  
  
  
  
"I want to go to school. You don't have to worry about the cost; Tofu and I have an agreement. He needs someone to help him around the clinic and I am going to take that job." Kasumi stopped there to see what her father's reaction was going to be. When he just sat there and looked at her she continued. "He said that I can stay in the empty apartment over the clinic that way I can study in quiet, and I can save my pay for class expenses."  
  
  
  
Soun felt the tears start to build in his chest; all of his girls were gone. This was all happening so fast that he wasn't sure what to do. He had hoped that they would stay with him until they were married or at least established, but here they were, all grown-up and ready to face the world on their own. There was nothing left for him to do now but let them go and hope he had done a good job raising them. All the eyes in the room were resting on him waiting for an answer, but he knew if he were to talk he would break out in tears. He didn't want to do that; he wanted this to be a happy occasion! His girls were all grown-up! He couldn't do it though. He couldn't deny what had become second nature to him and just let the tears start to freely flow.  
  
"Do good girls, do good and make me proud!" Soun managed to choke out before he started to sob.  
  
  
  
Nodoka had been sitting silently by her husband's side the entire night not wanting to interfere with the family discussion. Now, however, she raised her hand to stop the girls as they started to rise to go to their father. He needed to learn how to live without them and she needed to mop the dojo. She simply smiled sweetly at all the shocked faces as she said,  
  
"Soun, will you please go cry in the dojo for me?"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
@ ------  
  
  
  
I know this chapter doesn't say much in the way of Akane and Ranma, but I am trying to set up the background information for future chapters. Please bear with me…and enjoy the ride!  
  
Seong Mi 


	10. 10

Starry Night  
  
Chapter 10  
  
  
  
  
  
Ranma awoke with a start and looked around. He was laying on the ground by a warm, glowing campfire on the edge of a wood. Off in the distance he could see a fog start to swirl its way around the bottom of the trees in an ominous fashion. That was one place he did not want to go into. The campfire drew his attention again as its flames started to flicker and dance, for the first time he noticed that he was alone in this eerie land. The fog around the trees started to rise higher as if they were trying to form a barrier of some kind, trying to keep him away from something. As he watched he was so mesmerized by the fog seeming to interlock with itself that he didn't notice the tendrils that reached out in an attempt to grab his leg. He felt something cold and damp attach to his ankle, working its way up his pant leg, trying to permeate his skin. From the amount of suppressed hostility the thing was emanating he could easily guess at its intent and quickly tried to pull his leg back, but the grasp the fog had on him was very strong. Several more attempts to free his leg from the fog proved futile, as the fog seemed to easily be able to increase its strength. Ranma looked towards the wall of fog in a vain attempt to find a means of escape only to notice that the tendril of fog he was attached to was slowly being brought back into the fold, and he was obviously meant to go along for the ride.  
  
Frantically he tried to pull his leg lose as he noticed the slack between him and the newly formed wall lessening, but then he heard a cry for help. There was something very familiar about the cry, something that seemed to draw him to it; he couldn't put his finger on it. The wall of fog obviously didn't want him getting close to the person that called out though; it was starting to weave itself even thicker. Watching the fog form the wall and watching the rate that the tendril was being recoiled gave Ranma an idea. The wall was reinforcing itself from the outer edges in leaving a thin window in the middle that he figured he could break though if he was going fast enough. There was the small problem of his leg though, he really would like to take it with him but how could he break free. He stood for a minute just watching the window get smaller when an idea came to him. Faster than most people could move, Ranma was running towards the wall increasing his speed as he ran. As he neared the wall he started to focus his ki like he was preparing to send blast at the wall so he could blow his way through. Just as Ranma had hoped for, the wall seemed to sense him focusing his ki and loosened its hold on his leg so it could send that energy into finishing the outer layer of the wall, but that never happened. Just as the fog started to weave itself faster Ranma reached it and jumped through the hole in the middle. He was filled with a sense of victory as he felt his head penetrate the barrier, he had been right. He didn't have long to celebrate though, he was to busy channeling his ki into his leg. The fog recoiled a little bit at the feel of a small ki blast coming out of Ranma's ankle that was enough for him to break free.  
  
  
  
Turning, Ranma stared in wonder at the obstacle that he had just overcome with a feeling of pride. He noticed that the fog was fixing the whole that he had just created at an alarming pace. Either it didn't want someone to get in or it was desperately trying to keep something in, whichever it was he wasn't sure he wanted to find out. Another cry for help brought him to his senses as he remembered exactly why he had decided to break through the wall in the first place. Something in here needed him. He couldn't make out the words that were being spoken and he wasn't sure who was speaking them, but he had a feeling that the person was reaching for him. He turned away from the wall and focused on the direction the cry had come from, the forest. Moving as fast as he could he headed for the only foot path he could see that would take him into the overgrown woods, and would hopefully take him to the person who needed him before it was too late.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A chilled wind touched Akane's skin and woke her from her slumber. When she opened her eyes she saw that the familiar woods of her dream once again surrounded her. The path that she always walked lay in front of her, beckoning her to walk down its dim corridor. Behind her lay the other path that was brightly lit and welcoming making her choice seem easy. She knew what would happen though, the same thing that always seemed to happen. No matter which path she would choose, she always ended up in the same place. The small clearing with the rotting log that she would sit on and the creature that would appear, it was always the same. She had to admit that she was getting better at fighting the creature though; at least there was one good thing about this place.  
  
"Oh Ranma, where are you? I wish you could come into this dream and help me!" Akane said as she started on the sunny path. Just as she had predicted the path did not stay sunny for long. A misty fog started to swirl on the forest floor; twinning its way through the trees and making them disappear in the distance. Maybe she should just stop walking and wait here on this part of the path and force the creature to come to her. That would never do, there just wasn't enough room here for her to defend herself. She would have to proceed to the clearing whether she like it or not, there was no other way.  
  
  
  
When she reached the clearing she sat on the log to think while she waited for the creature to appear. She didn't bother to try to meditate while she waited anymore; it was just a waste of time. Instead she tried to remember all the different moves that she had ever seen Ranma, Mousse, Ryoga, Shampoo and Ukyou use. She tried to remember everything she could about the moves so she could try to duplicate them while she fought the creature. If there was one thing these dreams were good for it was training. The creature struck her often during these sessions and they always ended with her being knocked out, but when she woke-up the worse she ever felt was a few sore muscles. Since she was never hurt in these woods the last thing she should probably be feeling was fear, but she felt it. The feeling was so overwhelming at times that she just wanted to find a hole and hide. There was definitely something sinister about these woods, something evil lurking about. She didn't think that it was necessarily a creature made of flesh, but it was an entity of some sort. Hopefully she would be able to figure out what it was before it could get to her.  
  
  
  
She closed her eyes and focused solely on Ranma and his various techniques. Mastering some of his would probably be the smart thing to do; after all he was the best martial artist she knew. She could picture his lithe form in her mind, he was running through his katas, but they were not ones she had ever been taught. These were ones that she was certain he had come up with on his own, she couldn't be sure though. All the times she had ever watched him she had never gotten the courage to ask him about them, nor had she ever asked him to teach them to her. She was regretting that decision now. Some of those katas might be very handy to her in the next few minutes. The forms in some of the katas were easy enough to follow, easy enough that she should be able to learn the rhythm if she were to try. Block high, hammer fist, pivot right, block low, drop, sweep kick, roll left, side block, low block, crescent kick, turn to the rear, take two steps, jumping high kick. She kept repeating this pattern over and over as she pictured herself going through the motions. With any luck, she would have the routine down by the time the creature appeared.  
  
  
  
"Ranma, I wish you were here to help me. I need you by my side." Akane said as she took a deep, calming breath. She could sense the creatures presence now, he would be in the clearing soon and she needed to be focused.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The path that Ranma was walking down seemed to only go around the perimeter of the wood. After he had counted his fourth left turn he had started to look for a different path, but the wood was so overgrown that there seemed to be no way in. There had to be something that he was missing, some kind of a nook or cranny that was tucked away in the shadows, maybe just a small part in the brambles that grew along the ground. He continued to follow the path noting along the way all the marks he had left so he could find his way back, something definitely was not right. The person that was calling to him was somewhere in the middle of the wood, while he was contained on the outside, behind the bramble barrier.  
  
  
  
Frustration swept over his body when he felt the tension level of the person inside the barrier start to rise. Whoever was in there was mentally preparing for a fight, and he needed to be there. He didn't know why, all he knew was that he had to be there; he was needed there. Suddenly he felt rising ki levels, the battle had begun and he was still trapped on the outside. His heart started to pound in his chest with an anxiety that he could not explain and worry began to cloud his judgment. Without planning to do so, Ranma started to focus his ki between his hands and released a blast with more intensity than he was usually able to achieve. The blast tore through the undergrowth leaving nothing in its wake but the jagged torn edges of the bramble bushes and a few decimated tree trunks. Without a second thought, he ran down the newly created path in the hopes that this would get him closer where he needed to be. He never once noticed that the path had already started to fix itself.  
  
  
  
A brightly lit path greeted him as he emerged from the one he was on; he turned onto it and continued towards his destination. He could sense a person not to far from him, the ki felt familiar somehow almost as if it was a part of him but he couldn't figure out why. Every person he was close to he had left in relative safety back in Nerima except for Ryoga, he was back at the hotel. Ranma came to a dead stop as he began to fully understand the situation, he was supposed to be at the hotel with Ryoga, he must be dreaming. He started to walk down the path again while extending his senses to examine the ki he was feeling. Just as every object on the planet has its own unique properties, each person's ki was different, no two would elicit your senses in the same way. The ki he was sensing had been growing closer and closer to him since, Jusendo. Akane was near!  
  
  
  
Ranma's memories of that fateful day came crashing over him in an intense wave of emotions. Distaste for his girl side, a yearning for a cure to his curse. Pride and dismay mixed as he watched Akane grabbed the staff that was the key for the hot water tap. The disbelief he felt that turned into a raw, hollow pain as he watched her disappear. The death of his soul when he thought she was dead. The brief tendril of hope that he grasped when he realized that she had only been dehydrated and could be saved with the cold waters of Jusendo. The burning hatred and animosity he felt for Saffron as he stood between him and Akane's lifeline. The intense regret mixed with an odd sense of satisfaction as he delivered the final deathblow to his adversary. The soul wrenching pain he felt when the cold waters restored Akane's size, but not her life. Then there was the desperation of what he thought was going to be his final act for her. As he had held Akane in his arms he had focused all of his ki into them and willingly let his life force flow into her, exchanging his life for hers. The love that he felt for her then was so intense it brought tears to his eyes, but he didn't care. All that mattered was saving the girl in his arms. He yelled her name as he felt his life force start to wane hoping to revive her before he was gone. Then something truly amazing happen, he felt her life force start to travel into him. They had formed a revitalizing flow through their ki; they had saved each other.  
  
  
  
A few feet ahead of him the path opened up into a clearing in which he could see Akane and a smile of happiness crossed his face, he had found her if only in a dream. The happiness was short lived though as he noticed the determination on her face and the fighting stance she assumed. He followed her gaze to an area of the clearing that he had not been able to see earlier, and saw the creature for the first time. It was Akane, or at least a version of Akane, a very grotesque version. There were burns all over her body; some of the burns were so deep they exposed her bones. Parts of her head were charred and missing hair, and half of it was crushed in like she had received a deadly blow. Her face was nauseating to look at as most of her nose had been burned off, and enough flesh was missing from under her right eye to make it look as if it would fall out at any minute. Ranma was thankful that clothes covered the rest of her body as he felt his stomach start to churn.  
  
  
  
He stood back for a while just watching the fight progress, amazed at how much Akane's skill had improved over such a short period of time. The pattern of moves she was attempting to use started to look familiar to him, she was going through the forms of one of his katas. He had developed that particular one after he had fought Shampoo just in case he had to face another opponent that utilized bonbori. The movements seemed awkward to Akane at first, but after she went through a section of them a few times they seemed to come easily to her. Ranma was amazed at how rapidly she seemed to be learning the kata, even though there were a few holes in her defense she was moving fluidly with the forms now. They fell into an attack and retreat pattern now, each of them trying to gain an opening from the other. Through each attack Ranma began to see Akane commit the same error more than once, almost every time she would attack high she would forget to guard low. After the third time she had made the same mistake he was sure that the creature had noticed it too. He wanted to warn her to keep her from getting hurt, but he didn't want to distract her from the battle. The debate raged in him until he saw her start to begin the pattern again, he had to try to help her.  
  
  
  
"Akane! While your attacking high, don't forget the creature can attack low!" Ranma said loudly, waiting to see if she would lower her blocking arm just a little bit. To his consternation she not only lowered her arm, but also turned her head and looked at him in wonder. There was nothing he could do except watch as the creature took advantage of the situation and sent a powerful right hook to the side of Akane's head, then everything went black.  
  
  
  
He woke up with a start expecting to still be in the woods; instead he was in his bed in the hotel room. Ryoga was standing next to the bed looking at him with a funny look on his face.  
  
  
  
"What are you looking at, Pig boy?" Ranma asked while he was standing up.  
  
  
  
"Nothing, just wondering why you were talking to Akane in your sleep," Ryoga replied with a smirk on his face.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Akane woke from the darkness of her dream and stretched her back. The dreams didn't bother her anymore, she had gotten used to them after the third or fourth one, this one was different though. She had felt that comforting presence again, the same one she had felt in the hotel before she had left Japan. To make things even more odd she had seen Ranma in the dream, he had tried to coach her from the sidelines. She smiled as she remembered how wonderful it felt to see his face again. Her fingers unconsciously sought out the wedding band that she now wore and started to twist it on her finger. There had to be a reason he was in her dream, she remembered wishing he were there; maybe that was what had brought him. One thing was for sure now, she felt more secure knowing that she would be able to see him every night. Getting over him was going to be harder than she thought.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The soft call of a morning dove could be heard lilting through the dew-laden air, several chirps answered in response, as the woods seemed to come to life, the dark haired one was awake. The guard watched with only a passing interest as the girl went through her morning routine. Watching a person cook and bathe might be captivating to some people, but not them. They were warriors sent out to protect their village; they were only interested in stopping all threats to their village, and as far as they could tell this girl was no threat.  
  
  
  
Soon the girl started to stretch her muscles in a fashion that was familiar to them. They looked at each other with knowing glances, if they were right she would soon start a simple kata to help limber her up. They patiently waited and were soon rewarded with a beginner's kata. This girl might be more of a threat than they had initially thought she was, she obviously practiced the art. After she had finished her first kata, she moved into a more difficult one. Her moves were mesmerizing as she gracefully moved in and out of stances, utilizing several different styles of attack. She was very good. They had never heard of a school of the art that combined so many different styles together, but now they were witnessing it. The whole thing gave them a fright as they realized that if they were to fight this girl once they adjusted to one style of the art she could easily move to the next, always keeping them off balance. This was not good.  
  
  
  
After a few hours the girl stopped practicing kata and headed for the brook. The guard didn't think much of this, they figured she was just going to either relieve herself or refresh herself, possibly both. Normally they would have only sent one of their number to follow a person in these cases, but after the workout they had just witnessed the leader decided it would be wise to send two. She made several motions to the girl with the bonbori and the girl with the morning star and then sat down to wait their return.  
  
  
  
"What do you think of her skill, Yang Yang?" the leader of the group as the girl with the short sword.  
  
  
  
"She is just as good as many of the warriors in our village, if not better." Yang Yang replied matter of factly.  
  
  
  
"Let me guess, you don't think she is a threat to the village do you?"  
  
  
  
"I'm not sure, but I am hoping that she is just on a training trip,"  
  
  
  
The call of a mourning dove could be heard coming from the direction of the brook cutting the conversation short. The two girls looked at each other with worried expressions on their faces. The dark haired girl must be training by the brook now; they hurried to rejoin their friends. Silently they took places by their friends and looked to see what the girl was doing. There she was on the bank of the brook, sitting on her knees, starring into the water. The leader of the guard looked reproachfully at the two younger girls she had sent to follow the dark haired one. If this is what they had called her to see then she really needed to talk to them about what was considered suspicious activity. She was about to signal that she was leaving when Mai Tsu, the girl with the morning star, motioned for her to watch the dark haired girl.  
  
  
  
The hairs on her neck stood on end when she heard the dark haired girl say 'chestnut fist'. That was a secret Amazon technique, surely the girl could not know of it! If she did know it then she would have to get their group leader and fast, but she was sure she had just heard the girl wrong. After a few seconds the dark haired girls hands started to fly in and out of the water. Sometimes she would come up with a fish, but mostly she just managed to grab stones. There was no doubt about it. Even though the speed wasn't quite what it was suppose to be the technique was definitely the chestnut fist. She motioned to Xian Nam, the girl with the bonbori, and sent her to find the rest of their group. Their leader would need to see this and then they would have to determine what they were going to do about this girl, until then she would continue to watch.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The twinge in the demons side had grown stronger with each different cave it had explored. The environment of the earth was idea for his survival, but it was the closest one he could find after being cast out of his plane of existance. This world would do though, there were plenty of bodies for his minions to inhabit until they could change the environment and make them all slaves. He started to salivate as he thought about the different punishments he could have carried out on slaves that did not obey him, how he enjoyed to see others in pain. These humans were so weak that they were easy to control. He remembered his life on this planet before he was imprisoned; it was a glorious time in his life. He had found immense pleasure in making these people scream for mercy; the experience use to send ripples of pleasure throughout his body. He would have to see if that was still possible just as soon as he found his pet, he needed stimulation.  
  
Another twinge passed through him and almost brought him to his knees, but that didn't matter, he had found what he was looking for. A stone statue of a dragon was placed in this cave, a very fierce looking dragon. Lovingly the demon ran his hand over the statue; stopping to stroke it's long neck. The magic skills of the hags who had imprisoned him were pretty basic for the most part, and this was a beginner's spell. He walked towards the front of the dragon and looked into its eyes. He had to make sure that the hags had not harmed his pet before they petrified him, his pet was, after all, the one thing he did not want to see suffer. After he had assured himself that everything was as it should be, he began to chant words in his native tongue. A slight wind began to blow in the cave, swirling around the dragon. Soon it looked like there was a tornado surrounding the creature as the demons voice rose to a fevered pitch. Suddenly the demon stopped his incantation, and the wind slowly stopped blowing. When the dust had settled back onto the ground a green dragon was left standing in the space the statue had occupied for so long.  
  
  
  
"My pet," the demon said with an evil glint in his eye, "lets go have some fun."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Choon Li had quickly figured out what he had felt earlier in the week, the demon had escaped its prison. This fact did not bother him very much. The demon was a very weak creature when it did not inhabit a human body. That was why the honored elders had chosen to imprison him in this valley so long ago no one ever came here. They would be safe as long as the demon couldn't reverse the petrification spell that the elders had placed on his dragon. If he released his dragon then he could leave the valley, and if can get out of the valley, then he can destroy the world as the know it.  
  
  
  
He continued to meditate, letting his soul travel though the foliage that surrounded the valley even though the process caused him extreme discomfort. Every time the demon would move to a new cave, he would follow. Finally the demon came to the cave of the dragon. Sweat started to roll down Choon Li's face as he followed him in; he was worried the dragon would be released. There was no way to know for sure, but Choon Li was fairly certain that the demon knew spells, and if so then he could probably counteract this one. Hoping against all odds, Choon Li watched in horror as the demon began his incantation. He watched as the dust rose and waited for it to settle back down so he could see the outcome, and there he stood, the bane of the earth.  
  
  
  
Quickly he traveled back through the trees to his body and opened his eyes. His wife was sitting in a chair watching him with a worried look on her face and knew she would want to know what was wrong. He didn't have time to explain things to her right now she would have to wait. The world needed to be saved, and if he could make his way back to the village in time maybe the elders could save them. He had to hurry though, before the demon found a body to inhabit. They needed to stop the demon while he was still weak. Grabbing his wife by the hand he ran for the horses that were tethered outside. He knew that he would be in trouble with her for his behavior, but he didn't care, that wasn't important any more. If he was lucky he could make it to the village before the dragon had regained enough strength to fly. Placing his wife on the smaller horse, he took the other one and led the way down the trail. After they had been traveling for a few minutes he heard his wife's angry voice ask the question he knew was coming.  
  
  
  
"What do you think you are doing?"  
  
  
  
He turned to look at her without stopping and quickly said, "We must hurry, the dragon is awake."  
  
  
  
No other explanation was needed as they rode off down the trail that would take them to the village. 


	11. 11

Starry Night  
  
Chapter 11  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soft, sobbing noises could be heard drifting down the hallway from the living room in the Tendo home. There were only two rooms down there besides the bathroom, the guest room and the master bedroom, so it wasn't too hard to figure out where the noise was coming from. Soun Tendo hadn't always been an overly emotional man; he used to be able to keep all of his feelings hidden from the world. That was before his world came tumbling down though. First his wife died leaving him with three girls to raise by himself, then there was the constant threat of the masters return. Why that was enough to drive any normal man over the edge, and so it did. At least he didn't go into rages and hurt people like some individuals did, he just cried, frequently. The cause of all his emotion today was his daughters, or specifically his two eldest daughters. They were going to move out of his house today and into the world, they didn't need him anymore.  
  
  
  
The sounds of pots and pans clanging together helped to bring him back to his senses as he quickly dried his eyes. He would be a man today, not some whimpering fool! He would show his daughters that he could help them move and be proud of their wise decisions without having a mental breakdown. The girls would need his support and help as they journeyed out into the world for the first time; he needed to be someone that they could rely on. For too long he had allowed Nabiki and Kasumi to manage the household for him, they had grown-up too fast. Now he could do something for them, now he could give them something, love and understanding.  
  
  
  
  
  
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Ranma awoke with a vigor that he had not felt in weeks. The world around him seemed to be filled with a beauty that he had never noticed before. He had slept soundly and he had seen Akane in his dream, his beautiful Akane. How long had he lived without being able to see her face in something other than a photograph? He knew that in reality only a couple of weeks had passed, but he had still missed her more than he would like to admit. She had become such a fixture in his life that everything didn't work right without her there. As much as he hated to admit to it, he needed her, even wanted her. He stretched his arms over his head while replaying the dream in his mind. True he had only seen her for a few minutes, but that was all he needed, for now anyways. What amazed him the most was how quickly she seemed to have improved her martial arts skills. While he had been working on improving her speed in all of their punch and dodge matches he never realized that she had been studying his technique. The idea was quite flattering to him. Someone was actually copying his moves, that was something that only happened to the grand masters!  
  
  
  
Flipping open the curtains, Ranma welcomed the warm rays of the sun as they reached through the window to caress his face. He wanted to stay there longer and linger in his joyful mood, but he knew that he had to get to the docks if he and Ryoga were going to get tickets for the boat that was leaving that morning. He turned to the bed that the lost boy was still sleeping in, he would have to wake him up. A playful glint shone in Ranma's eyes as he considered pouring some cold water on his friend, but he couldn't do it. He had been woke-up in that manner often enough to know that feeling the change was not pleasant first thing in the morning. Besides, he needed the lost boys help finding Akane so he probably shouldn't make him mad.  
  
  
  
"Ryoga," Ranma said in a loud tone of voice while he shook the boy's shoulder, "time to wake-up man!"  
  
  
  
An eye on the lost boy's face opened a crack and took in his surroundings. Finally, his gaze came to rest on the object of his contempt, he sneered and closed his eye.  
  
  
  
"Ryoga, come on man!" Ranma pleaded with his friendly adversary. "We've got to go get the tickets, remember? We have to find Akane."  
  
Akane's name was all Ryoga needed to hear, suddenly he found his motivation, she might need him. He watched Ranma walk past him and into the bathroom before he got out of bed, he wanted a few minutes alone to think. As he stood on the floor and stretched his thoughts kept wandering to Akane, the beautiful, raven-haired beauty that he had adored for so long. He thought he had given up on her at Jusendo; only a blind fool could have missed the way she and Ranma were looking at each other. What was amazing was that the two could not admit to each other the feelings that showed in their eyes when they thought they were alone. They must be just as foolish as he was then, because he still secretly hoped that Akane would change her mind about him. Maybe if he went to China and helped her through this period in her life then she would see him in a new light. The door to the bathroom opened and Ranma walked out, his toothbrush still hanging out of his mouth. Ryoga looked at him for a second, then headed for the bathroom. He had no idea what Akane saw in Ranma and he probably never would, all he knew was the he was definitely being a fool. There was no way Akane was going to leave Ranma for him, he needed to let go of that fantasy before he could truly be happy with someone else.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A soft melody could be heard lilting through the flap of Akane's tent as the hazy morning sunshine cast a warm glow in the clearing. The new day had brought a whole new attitude to the lonely girl, one that was needed. For the first time since she had left Nerima she was happy. The feeling overwhelmed her as she pulled her hair off her face with a headband and she could feel tears threaten to stream down her face. Ranma had come to her in a dream.  
  
  
  
She hadn't realized how much she missed until last night. Now she was painfully aware of the gaping hole that was left in her heart. How could he come to mean so much to her over the years, she never meant for this to happen. After all of her problems had started at Furinkan High she had vowed never to let a boy get under her skin like this, but this was no boy, this was Ranma. For some odd reason she found the whole situation amusing. Here she sat in turmoil, half of her wanting to cry because Ranma was not in her life any longer, while the other half was rejoicing because of her dream. He had actually respected her martial arts skills in her dream! When he saw her fighting with that monster version of herself he hadn't jumped in to rescue her, he had merely watched and given advice. What a change that was! The whole thing had to be a fluke though, she had eaten her own cooking that night. Resolutely she crawled out of her tent into the morning sunlight and started her training routine for the day, but the smile was gone now. Akane realized that she probably wouldn't be seeing Ranma in anymore of her dreams; she would be on her own again. The thought slightly depressed her. She was probably wrong though because for some reason she could still faintly feel his presence, like she had in the dream. She quickly dismissed that notion as her mind playing tricks on her though.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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Cologne sat quietly on a bench in the harbor watching sailors prep their ships to sail. Occasionally one of them would stop and eye her great- granddaughter as she slept on the bench next to her. Cologne let them look, she didn't mind that, but if she even thought they were going to touch Shampoo she would pop them on the head with her staff and send them on their way. This was no time for young men with raging hormones to be courting her great-granddaughter, she had things to accomplish, important things. There was no time to waste on the foolishness follies of the young.  
  
  
  
A quick glance at the clock on the building next to her let her know that she only had to wait another half an hour before she would be able to board the boat for China. She didn't want to wait, she was in a hurry, but she had no choice. In her impetuous youth she would have been tempted to swim to China instead of waiting for some boat. If she would have done that then she and Shampoo could almost be to the shores of their homeland by now. She was getting old though and there was just so much that her body could take, so they sat and waited. Soon, very soon, they would be in the village and she would be able to tell the elders of her discovery. Then her great-granddaughters place in the tribe would be secure, and she would no longer have to worry about the future of her bloodline.  
  
  
  
  
  
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The leader of the group of Amazon's patrolling the forest stood with the guard she had assigned to watch the dark haired girl. They had already observed her while she did her katas, there really was nothing special about them. For that matter, this girl had done nothing that would show her to be a possible threat to well-being of their village. When the guard had been dispatched she was certain that she had instructed them on when to retrieve her. She was only to be sought out if the girl had the potential to harm the village. Frankly the lack of urgency in the matter was starting to get on her nerves. Maybe her chosen ones needed a refresher course.  
  
  
  
The sun was starting to reach the high points in the sky, most of her morning had been wasted. Here she stood hidden in the forest, watching the dark haired girl bathe. She could think of at least ten other things she would rather be doing right now, and none of them were that enjoyable. When the girl was finished with her morning rituals she was going to take her guard into the forest and give them a good talking to. Yes, that was what she would do, then they would know not to repeat this mistake again. She was so busy thinking of a good punishment for the guard that she didn't notice the dark haired girl leaving the water. The leader of the guard tapped her on the arm impatiently while pointing towards the edge of the stream, what the leader saw there chilled her to the bone. This girl was more of a threat than she had thought; she would have to do something, but what.  
  
  
  
  
  
**********************************  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The walk to the harbor had been a quiet one so far. That was highly unusual considering the pair doing the walking were Ranma and Ryoga. Ryoga had tried to start a conversation with the other boy a couple of times, but Ranma would never answer him. He wasn't sure if Ranma was being rude, or if he just wasn't hearing him so he decided to try again.  
  
"Hey Ranma, where do you think we should start our search?" Once again Ranma did not answer. Ryoga turned towards Ranma with a growl, he had been ignored one time to many and had every intention of teaching Ranma a lesson in manners. He stopped short though when he noticed the look in his friend's eyes, they were glassy and unfocused.  
  
  
  
Well, whatever he was thinking about Ryoga guessed that it must be something he liked. That was the only way he could explain the goofy grin on Ranma's face.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The demon tried to ignore the faintness he was starting to feel. Normally he felt exhilarated and refreshed when he rode on his pet's back, but not this time. This air was too clean for his liking, and the sun shone too brightly. If he was ever going to gain his full strength again, then he would have to change that. A horrifyingly grotesque laugh filled the air as the demon thought of all the things he could do to achieve his goal. The resources on this planet were boundless, and most of them were still pure.  
  
  
  
An excitement he had not felt in years rushed through his veins as he pictured himself masticating the living matter on the planet till he meted out a world to his liking. Through the entire process he would be absorbing all the pure energy the world had to offer until no one could stand up to him, and if anyone tried he would string them up by their entrails.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ranma knew he was ignoring Ryoga, but he was so engrossed with his thoughts that he really didn't care. He was going to China to find Akane; finally they would be together. Everything in his life was going to be wonderful because she was going to be by his side.  
  
  
  
He tried to imagine how her beautiful brown eyes would look when he told her that he loved her, how they would shine and dance with delight, but his imagination could never be close to the real thing. He couldn't wait until he could tell her!  
  
  
  
Ranma turned to look at his companion when he heard a sigh come from that direction, he should probably say something to the lost boy. He knew that he was being rude by not talking, but he really just wanted to be left alone with the memory of his dream.  
  
  
  
There was something that he needed to say to Ryoga though, before he went and got himself lost again. He needed Ryoga to promise to return to Nerima and watch out for the Tendos until he could return. Ukyou was already there, but she would need help if a formidable foe came looking for him, and that happened all too often, he was a popular guy after all.  
  
  
  
"Hey Ryoga," Ranma said without taking his eyes off of the road in front of him. He didn't want Ryoga to see the depth of his emotions; Akane should be the first to see that. "I need to talk to you about something."  
  
  
  
"Sure, what is it?" Ryoga replied while turning his head to glimpse at his friend.  
  
  
  
"If we get separated I want you to promise me that you will go back to Nerima," Ranma said matter of factly.  
  
  
  
"Shouldn't I look for you instead? You will need help finding Akane and China is an awful big place." Ryoga stated while thinking to himself that he had a knack for showing up where she was anyways. He had always hated his family's wandering curse. He would always get lost and end up in some of the strangest places. The curse did have some benefits though, he saw a lot of the world, and his path always seemed to cross Akane's.  
  
  
  
"True China is big, but I want the Tendos to be safe. I already asked Ukyou if she could kind of hang out around there, but she may need help." Ranma said, struggling to find the right words to express himself with.  
  
  
  
"Oh, I get it!" Ryoga exclaimed, "Your scared someone is going to show up looking for you, and you don't want your family to get hurt."  
  
  
  
"No, not my family! Akane's family," Ranma replied a little too quickly. "Look man, I just don't want anything to happen that Akane will be blaming me for."  
  
  
  
Ryoga rolled his eyes and wondered if his friend knew how transparent he was, everyone knew how he felt about Akane. Everyone but Shampoo that is, but then that girl had such a one track mind that someone would probably end up having to beat the fact into her head.  
  
  
  
He never did answer Ranma, he knew he didn't need to. He knew Ranma understood that he would be there when he was needed, he always was.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The wood floors in the Nekohatten glowed in the morning sunlight that streamed through the spotless windows. Mousse stopped his chores to wipe his brow and admire his work. Thanks to him the shop had not been written up once in the two years he had been there, he was always thorough in his work.  
  
  
  
A line of awards was on display by the cash register, declaring this restaurant one of the best. They were the only rewards he got for his work, but he wasn't in the business for the glory. No, he was only here to gain the affection on a girl. He wasn't so sure she was worth the effort anymore though, no matter what he did she never noticed.  
  
  
  
The time to move on with his life was fast approaching, and he knew it, he just didn't want to admit he did. The whole idea of leaving Shampoo behind saddened him. She had been his whole world for so long, she was his obsession.  
  
  
  
That was what had probably blinded him to her faults though. All she had done was be kind to him when they were kids, and he had sworn to marry her. As they grew up she became not only beautiful, but also viciously lethal to anyone who would stand in her way. Mousse was sure that Akane would be dead by now if Ranma had not been around. Shampoo knew that if she dared to harm Akane beyond a bruise or two Ranma would take her out. She may not speak good Japanese, but that didn't make her dumb. That was the whole reason she had sat on the sidelines for so long doing nothing but hanging on Ranma. Her strategy had been to make Akane so angry that she would leave Nerima, and leave the way clear for Shampoo.  
  
  
  
At first Mousse had been saddened by Shampoo's lack of interest in him. Before she had left the village for Nerima the second time she had started a relationship with him, asking him out on a date. After they had gone out a few times she told him that she had to leave for Japan again, and begged him to come with her.  
  
  
  
He had really thought that she cared for him, but he knew better now. The only thing that she had wanted from him was someone who could boost her ego while busting his back. She knew she had nothing to worry about; he would never challenge her to a fight. She knew she could treat him as badly as she wanted, and he would still be there in the morning. Well he had learned his lesson. Shampoo's lack of interest no longer made him sad, now he was glad for it. He would have been miserable till the day he died if he had been tied down to her.  
  
  
  
Angrily, Mousse picked up his bucket of mop water and walked towards the back door. He had been hoping that he could return to the village with Shampoo and Cologne. There were a lot of changes occurring in his life and he desperately needed someone to talk with, but all of his friends were in China.  
  
  
  
The idea of finding a suitable wife had also crossed his mind, but to no avail. Cologne had other plans for him. She needed him to stay and run the restaurant while they were gone, then she would still have a stable income when she returned.  
  
  
  
He couldn't disobey, that would go against all of his training. So here he was, trapped in Nerima without any real friends. He returned to the dinning area of the restaurant just in time to hear the steps creak as Nabiki descended. A smile formed on his face as he heard the first kind words directed towards him in a long time.  
  
  
  
"Good morning Mousse, how are you today?" Nabiki said with a smile. She didn't know how much that simple phrase meant to the lonely boy standing in front of her.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Shampoo and Cologne were standing on the dock waiting to board the boat when suddenly Cologne felt a gust of wind that almost knocked her over. When she turned to look Shampoo was no longer at her side, instead she was on top of a struggling mass of what seemed to be black and red silk. The form that filled the clothing seemed quite smaller than normal, Shampoo must have spilled her juice on him.  
  
  
  
The whole scene looked so funny that she couldn't contain the chuckle that was tickling her throat. She watched the look on Shampoo's face change from one of pure bliss to one of disgust as she realized Ranma was no longer a girl. For all of her life Shampoo always preferred a hard muscled body when it came to men. Cologne was still amazed that the Tendo girl hadn't noticed that yet, but then a lot of things seemed to escape her attention, including that little black pig. Akane could easily have kept Shampoo at bay if she would have turned Ranma into a girl every time Shampoo got a hold of him.  
  
  
  
Cologne patiently waited for Ranma and Shampoo to make their way back to where she stood. Word had gotten around Nerima that Akane had disappeared and Ranma was yet again searching for her.  
  
  
  
This gave Cologne the perfect opportunity to get the boy to the village. She would offer to guide him to the village and tell him he could use it as a base he could come back to when he needed fresh supplies and a warm bed to sleep in. She would also tell him that she would tell the women who were patrolling the forest about Akane just in case they had seen her. She would have offered to send Shampoo to help him, but she had to train for the village tournament that was fastly approaching.  
  
  
  
Considering everything else she was offering though, Ranma's best chance of finding Akane laid with her. There couldn't be a better way to keep the young man right within her grasp. When the time came for him to fulfill the prophecy she would know right where he was.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The sisters had been wandering ever since they failed to gain control of the Tendo dojo. They had finally decided to go to China about a year ago because there were more uninhabited areas for them to train in.  
  
  
  
Kurumi didn't care much about training anymore she really only went because her sister told her too. A home, friends, that's all she wanted out of life. Natsume was driven though. She had taken her defeat by Ranma and Akane to heart, and had every intention of keeping her promise to one-day return to the dojo.  
  
  
  
Kurumi wasn't sure why her sister still insisted on winning the Tendo dojo, they had found out the truth, Soun wasn't their father after all. Natsume seem possessed by her need to dominate the Any-Thing-Goes school though, she even planned to challenge Happosai one day. Through the years Kurumi had learned never to question Natsume, so she just quietly followed where her sister led. She would have a home soon enough.  
  
  
  
As they came to the top of the hill they had been climbing, a beautiful view a valley opened up before them. Kurumi admired the sight before her as her eyes took in everything. The thing she liked the most was the multitude of flowering trees that the valley seemed to boast. She knew they would set up camp here before Natsume ever set a word, but not because of the beauty she saw, those things didn't affect Natsume anymore.  
  
If Kurumi was right, Natsume was judging the valley by it's brook, clear open spaces, and seclusion. Turning to look at her sister, Kurumi knew she had been right; this was going to be home for a while. She just wished there were some kids around that she could play with.  
  
  
  
Quietly following along behind her sister, Kurumi let her gaze wander to the cloud filled sky. Trying to form patterns and find shapes in the clouds had been a favorite game of hers lately, Natsume didn't talk much anymore, unless it was about the Tendos. Her eyes wandered from one cloud to another labeling them as they went, a cat, a fish, and a house. Then something caught her eye behind a whispy cloud, she thought she had seen something move. That couldn't be right though, there were no airplanes in this area, and she could see no jet streams. The thing she saw didn't look like an airplane anyways, what she saw was bulky, and if she was correct had a tail.  
  
  
  
Her eyes had to be playing tricks on her. The thing had only been visible for a second before it had disappeared. That had to be it, her imagination was playing tricks on her, but the thing had seemed so real. 


	12. 12

I realize that I haven't left any author notes on the past few chapters…sorry! I get in such a hurry and am so excited to see what you guys have to say that I just forget. 0_o  
  
  
  
I'm sorry if it seems I am dragging the story out, but I've been trying to lay out the ground work for future chapters. I need to start things now so that the plot makes sense later. (If I knew when I started how complicated this story line was going to turn out I would have chosen a different one!) Anyways, don't worry guys! Ranma and Akane are going to get together in the next few chapters! I just couldn't rush things because I needed to give Akane enough time to improve…  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Starry Night  
  
Chapter Twelve  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The swirling mists once again surround the pair as they walked on in silence. They dared not stopped because they knew what the mist wanted, to separate them. Even if they only hesitated for a split second the mist would take advantage of the situation and start to grasp onto their arms and legs, always pulling them away from each other. So they held onto each other's hands and kept their pace quick. Once they reached the clearing they would be safe from the mist. For some reason that was the one boundary it could not cross, no matter how hard the mist tried it could never enter the clearing.  
  
  
  
They were close to the clearing now, Akane could see the blue of the sky through the breaks that were starting to form in the trees. They quickened their pace to a run, trying to escape what they knew was coming. In a last ditch effort to keep the couple out of the clearing, the mist made on last grab at Akane, barely missing her ankle.  
  
  
  
Ranma reached down a hand and Akane grasped it, marveling at the energy she felt flowing between them. She quickly squashed the fluttery feeling in her stomach, and smiled at Ranma as he helped her to her feet. If the heat she felt washing over her was any indication, then her face was probably beet red. When she finally looked up from the ground Ranma was standing right in front of her with an amused look in his eyes. Silently he held his hand out and waited for her to take it. When she did, he gently took hold and led her over to the log to sit down. Why couldn't the real Ranma be like her dream Ranma?  
  
  
  
"You know Akane, if we are going to train today you are going to have to relax a little," Ranma said to her. He had the smile on his face that always took her breath away.  
  
  
  
"I'm just not used to training with someone," Akane said before realizing how dumb the excuse must have sounded.  
  
  
  
"You mean your just not used to training with me yet, right?" Ranma asked while turning to look at the forest. "I can leave if you want me too."  
  
  
  
"No! Please don't leave me! It's just that, I'm not used to you being so kind to me. I mean we have been training for three days now and you have yet to tell me how ugly or klutzy I am. I'm just not use to it." Akane said, she was also staring into the trees. She couldn't say those kinds of things to Ranma while looking him in the eye; she would lose her nerve.  
  
  
  
"I can start saying those things if they would make you feel more comfortable," Ranma responded with a hint of mirth in his voice.  
  
  
  
"No, please don't." Akane said in a weak voice. She had never been able to tell the real Ranma how his name-calling had made her feel, but maybe she could tell this Ranma. After all he was just a part of her dream, and getting the problem off of her chest would probably help her feel better.  
  
  
  
"Ranma, I don't like the way you make me feel when you call me those names," Akane faltered, unsure of what words to say. She soon found she had no problem though, she just said what she felt. "I feel like I am inadequate in every way. What am I compared to your other fiancées? Ukyou is cute, Shampoo has half the men in Nerima after her, and all I am is uncute. I'm not all right, I'm not barely passable, I am just uncute."  
  
  
  
"Akane, I don't," Ranma started to say as he saw the tears well up in her eyes, but she held up a hand to stop him from saying any more.  
  
  
  
"Please hear me out. I need to tell you this," Akane closed her eyes and took a deep breath in order to regain control. "I used to be the best martial artist in all of Nerima. No one could come close to touching me, except for maybe Kuno. Then all of a sudden here you come, and you were so good at the arts. Then Ryoga comes, followed by Shampoo and Ukyou. The next thing you know, I am constantly surrounded by people who could wipe the ground with me in a heartbeat. I ask you to train me so I can be at their level and regain my sense of security, but you just call me a klutz and tell me you don't hit girls. You know what though, I know that you have fought with Shampoo and I'm pretty sure you have trained with Ukyou, I just can't prove it."  
  
  
  
Akane stopped to take a deep shuddering breath before continuing. "I know that I must sound like I am rambling to you, but what can you expect. After all I am just a dumb as a box of rocks and I am built like an ox to boot. Wait a minute, I forgot the part about my thighs and how I don't look as good as your girl side. Do you know the part that hurt the most though? I hear the other fiancées repeating these things that you say to me. Then I stop and take a good look at myself. I mean, what do I really have to offer compared to them?"  
  
  
  
Tears started to flow freely down Akane's face even though she tried to stop them. This imitation Ranma of hers had slowly chipped away at her resolve to be strong and left her feeling weak and exposed to the world. None of this really mattered anyways, they were just in her dream world. No one would ever know how she really felt, her secret was safe.  
  
  
  
Soon she felt Ranma's strong arms wrap around her body and pull her into the safety of his warm embrace. The comfort she found there was beyond explanation, it was a mixture of security, contentment and something else, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Whatever the feeling was, it was quickly calming her down though.  
  
  
  
She soon found her sobs reduced to sniffles, as she closed her eyes, and relaxed on his chest. The rhythmic rise and fall of his chest was having a hypnotic effect on her and she quickly became aware of how closely he was holding her. The faint stirrings of a strange feeling were beginning to come to life within her, leaving her yearning for more. More than just a mere embrace, much more than just comfort.  
  
  
  
Slowly she lifted her gaze to Ranma's face just as he was looking down at her, he have been feeling the same thing. His eyes were turning a smoky gray and his face held an expression she had never seen before, it was all very exhilarating.  
  
  
  
The look in his eyes grew in intensity as he bent his head towards hers. He was going to kiss her! She had been dreaming of this moment for so long, and now it was finally going to happen! Akane closed her eyes and moved to meet him half way. Everything was just so perfect, they were all alone, and the woods were so still and quiet. Here she was with Ranma, her Ranma, and he was finally going to take their so-called relationship to the next level.  
  
  
  
Her heart started racing as she felt his warm breath on her face, he was so close to her. In her mind she could see Ranma dressed-up as Romeo. The look on his face was close to the one she had seen right before she had closed her eyes, but there was one difference, one thing she hadn't thought of. Her Romeo Ranma was real, her dream Ranma wasn't.  
  
  
  
Akane knew she needed to do something before the situation went any farther than it already had. There was no way she could kiss this dream Ranma, it just didn't feel right, it just wasn't, it just wasn't Ranma. Quickly, before her emotions got the best of her, Akane turned her head. With a deep, heart-wrenching regret she felt Ranma's lips touch her cheek just to the right of her lips. Quietly, she lifted her hand and gently laid it on the spot he had just kissed, caressing it as she turned to look at him. The hurt she saw on his face was almost more than she could bear, but it wouldn't change her decision.  
  
  
  
"Akane, I," Ranma started to say, but Akane cut him off before he could finish.  
  
  
  
"Ranma, please don't." Akane said. "It wasn't anything you did. I wanted to kiss you, I just couldn't."  
  
  
  
"I don't understand," Ranma said, looking away from her once again.  
  
  
  
"I want my first kiss to be a special thing that I share with the man I love," Akane said with her eyes closed. She couldn't look at him, not now.  
  
"You may be Ranma, but only here in my dreams."  
  
  
  
"What?" Ranma asked in total confusion.  
  
  
  
"You look like Ranma, feel like Ranma, you even smell like Ranma, but you are not Ranma. You're not my Ranma."  
  
  
  
"You've lost me. If I look, feel and smell like Ranma, then how can I not be Ranma?"  
  
  
  
"You are in my dream, or at least I think this is a dream. Anyways, I only come here while I am sleeping so this must be a dream world, and you are in it, so you must be part of my dream."  
  
  
  
"So if I am in your dream, and I'm Ranma, why can't you kiss me?"  
  
  
  
Akane looked at her dream Ranma and wondered that he didn't get it. How could he not understand how kissing him would make her feel?  
  
  
  
"You may be a dream, but you are a little to real for me. When I was getting ready to kiss you I felt like I was betraying the real Ranma. I could never, no I would never do that to him. I want my first kiss to be with Ranma."  
  
  
  
Akane sat in silence, staring into the forest, waiting for a remark from Ranma. While she waited, she watched the mist as it weaved around the trunks of the trees, looking for a way to enter their haven. The mist would start to push in towards the center just to be repelled back to the trees. The way the mist kept trying to intrude into the haven started to make Akane wonder if this was indeed a dream world, or if she was somewhere else. If she were in charge of the dream couldn't she make the mist and her other self go away? She had tried to on occasion, but they never left. They were always lurking in the shadows, laying in wait, but for what?  
  
  
  
"Well, if we are going to train we had better get started Ranma. It is almost dawn and the creature should be here soon." With that Ranma and Akane squared off in their ready stances and started another night of sparing.  
  
  
  
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The embers in the dying fire cast an eerie glow across the campsite, till every little thing seemed frightening. Off in the distance an owl called into the night, causing the poor girl to jump in fright. Tonight was not the first night that she had ever stayed in the open. For that matter, most of her young life had been spent on the road, she was used to it by now. Tonight was different though, something just wasn't right. The soft breeze had a slight chill to it, the animals were too quiet, and every now and then she could swear she felt something slimy crawl across her leg. Every time she felt this thing, she would shine her flashlight into her sleeping bag, but there was never anything there.  
  
  
  
Just as she started to drift to sleep for the twentieth time, Kurumi felt something on her leg again. She didn't bother to look this time though, she knew nothing would be there. After calming herself down, she looked towards the figure sleeping on the other side of the fire. How Natsume was able to sleep on a night like tonight was beyond her, but then her sister had been obsessed with defeating Ranma and Akane for so long that nothing seemed to bother her anymore. Or at least she didn't notice much anymore.  
  
  
  
Revenge could be such an all-consuming thing; Kurumi had learned this first hand, it had changed her sister so much. Natsume was no longer the caring sister that was concerned with her well-being, no she hadn't been that in a long time. All that mattered to her now was her conquest of the Tendo dojo. She really didn't understand why her sister wanted to take it away from Akane and Ranma in the first place, there really was no reason. They had discovered that Soun wasn't their real father after all. That was just some lie that Happosai had told; something he had said in an attempt to motivate them towards a goal, and it had been a good goal. Look at all they had accomplished! They were both highly skilled martial artist, they had learned how to take care of themselves, and they had developed a strong sense of honor. Well, Kurumi thought they had, but look at Natsume now. How could she find the conquest of the Tendo dojo an admirable goal? The Tendos and the Saotomes were their friends, they had taken care of them. After the sister's had tried to take over the dojo under the misconception that Soun was their father, they had forgiven them. They were the closest thing to a family that they had.  
  
  
  
Kurumi had thought about leaving Natsume's side for some time now. She was tired of following her sister on this course action, but she couldn't do that. Maybe if she stayed around and talked to her sister long enough, then she could change her mind. If that didn't work though, then she could rush back to Japan and warn the Tendo's of Natsume's plan. Whatever needed to be done she would do.  
  
  
  
Just on the edges of the light cast by the campfire, Kurumi thought she saw something lurking about. She reached out with her senses, but could feel nothing there. Yet there it was, a kind of shadow that seemed to moved effortlessly between the variances of light. A cold chill filled her body, as the shadow seemed to move closer to her side of the campfire. Was there really anything there though? With the way the dying fire was flickering it was hard to tell. Her mind was probably just playing tricks on her, she had been psyching herself up for it. Wasn't she just thinking how odd everything felt?  
  
  
  
Kurumi closed her eyes for a second, willing the thing to be gone. When she opened her eyes again, the shadow was nowhere to be seen. The thing had to have been a figment of her imagination. Nothing on this planet could have disappeared so quickly. Feeling just a little better than she had before, Kurumi lay back down and attempted to go to sleep again, but she just couldn't seem to shake that feeling that something was wrong.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
*********************  
  
  
  
  
  
Akane woke in a grim mood that morning, the events in her dream had been unexpected. When Ranma had first appeared in the forest she had been so happy, but now she wasn't so sure. The whole reason she had left Nerima was to forget about Ranma, put him behind her. How could she do that if she saw him every night?  
  
  
  
Leaving had been the hardest thing she had ever done, she had walked away from everything. The main reason she had was Ranma. She figured that the longer she was away, the less she would think about her fiancée. What a laugh that was! The longer she stayed away from Nerima, the more she thought about him. If that wasn't bad enough, he started appearing in her dreams. Each time she saw him in the clearing, he played more of an active role, until he became her teacher. What a wonderful feeling that had been! Ranma was finally respecting her, taking her martial arts abilities seriously, but then he was only a dream. He was her dream, and didn't dreams do what you wanted them to? So of course he would stop dodging and start giving her pointers that was what she wanted.  
  
  
  
Things had gotten better from there. This dream Ranma of hers was charming. He had never once called her a name, he did really silly things to make her laugh, and he was always ready with a compliment. He did everything that she had always dreamt of Ranma doing, he was perfect! That was her problem, he was perfect.  
  
  
  
If her dream Ranma had been more like her real fiancée then she probably would have let him kiss her, and she probably would have enjoyed it. He wasn't Ranma though. He was different. Every moment she spent with her dream man drove her deeper into despair, she felt as if she were cheating on her one true love. How could that be though? How could kissing Ranma in a dream be cheating? She knew there was an answer to that question somewhere; she just didn't know where to begin looking.  
  
  
  
  
  
***************************  
  
  
  
  
  
This was not supposed to be happening! The whole situation angered Cologne beyond belief. Ranma should have been spending the voyage bonding with Shampoo, but instead he dreamed of the Tendo girl. Things were not looking good!  
  
  
  
According to what Dr. Tofu had said, Ranma's ki was mixed with another persons. She had never doubted Dr. Tofu before, the man had an amazing ability to read ki, better than most people she knew. Maybe she shouldn't have trusted his evaluation so blindly, maybe she should see for herself.  
  
  
  
This was going to be hard. She wasn't as young as she used to be, her facilities weren't as sharp. In order to accurately read Ranma's ki, she would have to get close to him, and keep him from finding out what she was trying to accomplish. There had to be a way to distract the boy without him getting suspicious.  
  
  
  
She was pretty sure there was nothing to worry about though. Shampoo was the only Amazon around his age that he knew, so it had to be her. Still, if his ki was mixing with hers, and they were supposed to be the fated couple in the prophecy, shouldn't he be showing some interest in her? The Tendo girl seemed to preoccupy his every waking moment, and if she was to believe what the Hibiki boy had told her before he disappeared again, then Akane was dominating his dreams too. This was something that Cologne just couldn't leave to chance, she had to be sure. The future of her family line was at stake, and they needed Ranma to maintain their high position in the council.  
  
  
  
She needed to maintain her composure for now, and focus on one problem at a time. How was she going to distract the boy? The idea of sending Shampoo to talk to the boy had briefly crossed her mind, but she had quickly discounted it. For some reason he avoided Shampoo like she had a disease or something. After a seconds thought, she realized that she really couldn't blame the boy for not wanting to be around her granddaughter, she had been very annoying lately. Every time she saw her fiancée, she would act as if he was her possession. Subtlety was an art form that the poor girl desperately needed, but, unfortunately, had never mastered. Hopefully she would learn one day soon.  
  
  
  
Cologne shook her head in dismay as she thought about the follies of youth. She couldn't help but smile as some of her own escapades came to mind, but now was not the time to be reminiscing. First she must find a solution to the task at hand, how was she going to distract Ranma.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
*********************  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ranma lay on the bunk in his cabin smiling over the events of last nights dream. Akane had not wanted to kiss him because that would make her untrue to him. His heart had stopped when he heard those words come out of her mouth. Now he knew that when he saw her next he wouldn't have to worry about how to tell her that he loved her, because she felt the same way.  
  
  
  
In the hallway outside the door, he could hear soft footsteps going up and down the hall, not to far in either direction. The smile started to leave his face, but then came back; no one was going to ruin his day.  
  
  
  
Shampoo was out there, and she was obviously waiting for him to make an appearance so she could try to hang all over him, the girl was so annoying. The thought of just staying in bed all day crossed his mind, but that was not a viable option with this girl. If he didn't get out there soon, she would probably break down the door again. Why did Ryoga have to go and get lost? He really could have used him as a decoy just about now.  
  
  
  
With an audible sigh, Ranma got out of his bunk and opened the door to his room. Sure enough, just as he had predicted, Shampoo was standing there waiting for him, a slutty look on her face. He briefly wondered if she knew how badly he wanted to laugh at her. He could not allow himself that pleasure though. If he wanted to get into the area around the Amazon village he would need their help, and they would be less likely to help him if they were mad at him. For now he would just have to keep his emotions to himself.  
  
  
  
"Good morning, Shampoo!" Ranma said with a fake enthusiasm. "You really don't have to meet me at my door every morning you know."  
  
  
  
"Oh, is no problem!" Shampoo replied with a giggle. "Shampoo only too happy to wait for husband."  
  
  
  
"Why can't you just wait for me outside?"  
  
  
  
"Is privilege for husband to have wife wait. It show he is good husband, no other woman can touch."  
  
"I don't want to be a good husband, Shampoo. I just want to be left alone for a while."  
  
  
  
"Shampoo understand," Shampoo said with tears in her eyes, "you no want Shampoo? Shampoo make good wife, not like violent girl and cook girl. Shampoo take good care of you!"  
  
  
  
"I don't want you to take care of me!" Ranma said vehemently even as he felt his resolve start to weaken. Why did the sight of a girl in tears always have to make him want to back down? He couldn't though, not any more. He had to let these girls know that he wasn't going to play their games anymore!  
  
  
  
"I'm sorry Shampoo, but I don't want to be bothered right now. Go find something to do and maybe I will see you later, but for right now leave me alone," Ranma said as he started to walk down the hallway.  
  
  
  
He knew that she would probably follow him, but at least he had put his foot down, that was a good place to start. As soon as he reached the stairs he increased his speed. Hopefully he could find a good place to hide. He really didn't want to be bothered by Shampoo today.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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The quiet period at the Nekohatten, between lunch and dinner, was the perfect time to rest, so Mousse was sitting quietly at a table. He made sure he was facing the door so he would know when Nabiki arrived, so he could talk with her. There was no particular subject that he wanted to discuss, no pressing matter that needed to be handled, just curiosity.  
  
  
  
When Nabiki had arrived home from school yesterday she had been very distressed, and had gone straight to her room. When she emerged, over an hour later, her eyes were red rimmed, as if she had been crying. Something major had to have happened to her yesterday for her to be behaving this way, he had never known her to cry.  
  
  
  
What worried him the most was that she didn't seem to have anyone she could talk to about her problem. Akane had run off to China, Kasumi was busy with school and Dr. Tofu, and, in the past week, he had yet to see her bring a friend over. People did come by to see her on occasion, but they were normally there to pay on a bill, or to conduct business. No one ever came by on a purely social call.  
  
  
  
He had also noticed that her cell phone seemed to ring a lot. At first he thought that her friends had gone off to college and just called her, but he soon learned other wise. The pieces of conversation that he had been able to overhear were all business calls. People were calling her, giving her information that she needed, or reporting that some job had been completed. From what he had learned he figured that she must be real lonely and in need of a good friend to talk to, and that was what he intended to be.  
  
  
  
A few minutes after the clock in the corner struck two, Nabiki came through the door in a huff. Filling the teacups that he had already prepared, Mousse call to Nabiki.  
  
  
  
"Good afternoon, Nabiki" Mousse said in an even tone, "would you like some tea?"  
  
  
  
As she heard the words, Nabiki came to an abrupt halt, wondering what the deal was. No one ever offered something for free.  
  
  
  
"If you need some information or want to place a bet, you will have to come see me later," Nabiki said over her shoulder. She was just about to walk away when she heard Mousse's response.  
  
  
  
"I just thought you might like a few minutes to unwind. Yesterday I noticed that you did not look like your usual self, and today you look just as stressed. Come have some tea with me."  
  
  
  
Nabiki wasn't sure how to respond, the only person who had ever taken notice of her emotional state was Kasumi. Akane was always to busy with Ranma, her dad was always in his own little world, and she never had any real friends. This was also the first time someone had offered her something without expecting something in return, it was all very unnerving for the girl.  
  
  
  
Placing her book bag on a table by the stairs, she slowly made her way over to the table Mousse was at and had a seat. She wasn't sure how to act in a normal social situation. What would she talk about if there was no business involved? Quietly she accepted the cup that Mousse passed to her, and hoped that he would start the conversation. For once in her life, Nabiki was at a loss for words.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
************************  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Akane was on her way to the stream for the last time. She had decided that she had already spent too much time in this one spot and had better be moving on before Ranma showed up. She didn't want to be found, not yet.  
  
  
  
A euphoric feeling spread through her as she thought of Ranma, she missed him. The dream last night had made the fact all too evident. Needing another person in every day life as much as she needed Ranma was a possibility that she had never considered before, yet alone experienced. The whole idea left her a little unnerved. She never wanted to be dependent on another person, she had wanted to stand on her own.  
  
  
  
The sound of a twig snapping brought Akane back to reality. She quickly looked up from the path she was walking down only to discover that she was surrounded by a group of five women. They all varied in height and size, but they were all equally muscled. Judging by the serious expression on their faces, she was in for a world of hurt.  
  
  
  
  
  
*******************  
  
  
  
  
  
Tauro Pantyhose (PT for short these days) was on a mission of vengeance. A while back, he had gone to Japan in search of Master Happosai. He needed a new name and the master was the only person who could give him the name, but of course the old pervert refused. Master Happosai had actually told him, PT, that he should be proud to have such a name! The old man was obviously insane! Who in their right mind would want to go through life being called Pantyhose?  
  
  
  
The other choices that the weird old man had thought off were no good either, for some reason they all had something to do with women's under things. Compared to brassier and garter belt, Pantyhose was starting to sound good.  
  
  
  
PT couldn't let the situation lie though, no he had to challenge the master's student, one Ranma Saotome. Well, he had learned from his past mistake, he would not touch the Tendo girl this time. No, he would just find the femboy and throttle him until he produced Master Happosai, and then PT would have his new name, a name he could be proud of.  
  
  
  
  
  
*****************  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Akane assumed a very loose battle stance that she had often seen Ranma in so she could be prepared for a fight without threatening the other girls. She stood her ground as the eldest lady in the group stepped forward and looker her up and down. The situation seemed to be escalating, and she didn't like where it was heading.  
  
  
  
The lady just stared at Akane for a second longer before saying something in Chinese. Some of the words Akane recognized from her Chinese classes at school, and what she heard she didn't like, protect, forest and now. As far as Akane was concerned she needed to prepare for the fight of her life.  
  
  
  
She had been expecting all of the girls to jump her at once, but that was not to be. The lady, who Akane had deemed as the leader of the group, stepped back as the youngest of the girls stepped forward. Fiercely, she looked Akane in the eyes as if she thought she could scare her off without breaking a sweat, but that was not going to happen. If Akane was going to prove herself, she was going to have to start now.  
  
  
  
The girl nodded her head and gave Akane a very grim looking smile before reaching behind her back. At first Akane thought that the girl had trained in the same school of fighting that Mousse had, and was anticipating a barrage of weapons to come flying at her, but that never happened. Instead the girl quickly whipped her hands back around her body and produced a pair of deadly looking bonbori.  
  
  
  
Akane couldn't believe her eyes! What a stroke of luck this was! She was sure that the leader would have chosen another girl to attack her if she had known about Akane's encounters with Shampoo. She had become quite adept at avoiding their blows over the past year.  
  
  
  
"We have a small match to determine your fate," the leader said matter of factly to Akane.  
  
"Why don't you just let me leave the forest," Akane said, trying to avoid the confrontation, "and I will never bother you again."  
  
  
  
"You walk on Amazon land without permission, now you pay!" The leader stated while motioning towards the girl with the bonbori. Akane dug her heels into the forest floor and waited for the girl to make her move. 


	13. 13

1 I was hoping to have chapters 14 and 15 done by now, but that hasn't happened. I'm having problems getting things just the way I want them to be. I wasn't going to post chapter 13 until I was finished with them, but I changed my mind.  
  
  
  
Don't worry Terry, Ranma and Akane are going to come face to face in chapter 14. Sorry it took so long to get them to this point.  
  
  
  
Thanks for reviewing every chapter may, lija, and lilvivi3. Reviews help keep me motivated to finish this fic, especially when the writer's block starts to kick in.  
  
  
  
Please people, review the story and share your opinions with me! ^_~  
  
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7 On A Starry Night  
  
Chapter 13  
  
  
  
  
  
Xian Nam and Akane stared each other down, trying to spot each other's weakness. Looking for a hole in the other's defense that could be exploited and used to their advantage. Finding one could be the difference between defeat and victory.  
  
  
  
Lending to the folly of youth, as most her age do, Xian Nam let her impatience with the situation be known, and went for the first strike. She charged straight ahead, with her fist raised, and aimed a vicious punch towards Akane's head. At once Akane saw the folly in the girls actions, as well as her own. Had she not once attempted to fight Ranma in the same way? Were her moves as broadcasted and as easily read as this girls were? Suddenly Akane understood so much of what had been occurring between her and Ranma during the time they had known each other. She was as overly impatient and easily angered as he was patient and levelheaded. No wonder he, and everyone else for that matter, could dodge all of her blows. She had been as easy to read as a child's book.  
  
  
  
Standing her ground, Akane waited for the girl to near her, and then sidestepped the girl's fist seconds before it would have impacted against her face. As Xian Nam's fist flew past Akane, the girl stumbled and almost fell on the ground, but quickly recovered and pivoted for her next move.  
  
  
  
Once again Akane assumed her relaxed stance, watching for a reaction from the girl. She didn't have to wait long before she was rewarded with something, a slight little twinge in the eyebrows. The tactics that Ranma used on her were having the same effect on this other girl, and, for the first time, Akane really understood why Ranma had adapted this style. Besides being able to easily move into just about any other stance, it seemed to frustrate the other person, making their moves that much easier to read. A small smirk formed on Akane's face as her confidence in her abilities grew; this was one fight she was not going to lose.  
  
  
  
More emotion started to show on Xian Nam's face when she noticed the smirk Akane wore. Closing the distance between the two, Xian Nam raised her bonbori to strike at the girl that was angering her, only to find that Akane had, once again, moved at the last second.  
  
  
  
The fight continued on in this manner for several more minutes, Akane never attacked, nor was she ever touched. Since all she had done was dodge, the match had been incredibly easy for her, but she could see the fatigue on her opponent's face. Constantly being on the offensive was taking a toll on Xian Nam.  
  
  
  
Akane knew the fight had to stop before the young girl ended up injuring herself in someway, so she devised a plan. The next time Xian Nam came rushing at her with her bonbori raised on the same side of her body, she would simply step to the side they were on, take hold of the girl's wrists, and pin her to the ground. Coming up with the plan and carrying it out were two very different things though.  
  
  
  
  
  
******************  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Nabiki eyed Mousse warily as she sipped the tea. They had been sitting at the table for ten minutes now and not one word had been spoken. She wasn't sure what, if anything, was on his mind, but she was beginning to suspect that he wanted something of her, something big.  
  
  
  
"Are you hungry?" Mousse asked in-between sips of tea. "I could make a snack for you."  
  
  
  
"Ok Mousse, spill it," Nabiki replied coolly.  
  
  
  
"Spill what? The tea? No thank you, that would make a big mess," Mousse answered without pause, catching Nabiki off guard. The smile on her face slowly changed from calculating to genuine. Mousse liked the change.  
  
  
  
"What do you want from me?" Nabiki asked.  
  
  
  
"I want you to tell me if you are hungry, and how your day was. That's all." Mousse said hoping for an answer.  
  
  
  
Nabiki sat for a moment in silence, trying to figure out what Mousse was up to. Surely he couldn't be interested in just her, nobody ever was, except Kasumi. Maybe he just wanted to talk about the restaurant.  
  
  
  
"When you came home yesterday you looked like you were about to cry." Mousse said when Nabiki didn't answer him. "Now look at you, you are upset! What happened to you today at school?"  
  
  
  
Nabiki got out of her chair and started to walk towards the stairs. She wasn't going to tell Mousse anything! No one was going to ruin her reputation! Just then a thought struck her. How often was Mousse actually seen outside of the Nekohatten? Why would he do something to hurt her when he needed her help?  
  
  
  
"Kuno," Nabiki said so quietly that Mousse could barely hear her. She turned around, but kept her gaze on the floor. "Ever since Akane left Kuno has been acting stranger that usual. He has been trying to think of different ways to bring her back to him, you know how he is. Well, the other day he decided that the best way to bring Akane back to his arms is through jealousy, and since Akane should be in touch with her family…"  
  
  
  
"He decided to use you as the bait," Mousse surmised when the girl wouldn't finish. "What exactly is he doing to you? No offense, but you are Nabiki, nothing gets to you."  
  
  
  
"At first he just showed up everywhere I was, you know, being real annoying. That was easy enough to handle though, but yesterday and today were different. I swear Mousse, if you tell this to anyone I will make you regret your decision!"  
  
  
  
Mousse almost recoiled when he saw the fury that burned in Nabiki's eyes. In that instant he knew that he would make Kuno pay for whatever he had done to the girl!  
  
  
  
"On my honor, what you say will never leave this room," Mousse said.  
  
  
  
"He tried to take indecent liberties with me," Nabiki quietly said.  
  
  
  
Mousse's heart went out to the girl when he saw the shame that flooded her eyes.  
  
  
  
"Would you like me to have a discussion with him?" Mousse asked.  
  
  
  
"No, I want to deal with him on my own," Nabiki said as tears started to fall from her eyes. "I swear I will make him pay if he tries to touch me again!"  
  
  
  
Mousse wasn't sure why, but, as he wrapped his arms around the crying girl, he was suddenly filled with an inexplicable need to protect Nabiki from Kuno as a protectiveness that he had never experienced before filled his being. Just the thought of Kuno trying to touch Nabiki made him mad enough to want to track the bokken wielding idiot down and make him suffer.  
  
  
  
That course of action would never work though, he had watched Ranma and Kuno often enough to know that. What he needed was a plan, a way to fix the Kuno problem for good.  
  
  
  
Nabiki's desire to deal with the problem on her own fell on deaf ears. The boy that was holding her was too busy thinking about the different spices and powders that were currently locked in a special cabinet.  
  
  
  
  
  
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The heavy feel of the pack on his back was very comforting to Ryoga. Every shift and slide the pack made, as his belongings moved, was familiar to him. They were the only constant in all of his wanderings, the only things that never changed.  
  
  
  
Here he was, lost again, walking down a path in a forest. He had not seen any signs or towns as he walked, he didn't know where he was. He wasn't even sure how he had gotten to the place he was now, he never did.  
  
All he knew was that the rising sun was shining on his face as it rose over the horizon, and that was all he really needed for now. Maybe this time he would be heading in the right direction.  
  
  
  
The sounds of a confrontation were coming down the path ahead of him. Reaching back, he grabbed his travel worn umbrella and slowly inched his way forward, careful not to make a sound. He wanted to have the advantage of surprise if he needed to join the battle.  
  
  
  
Finally, after slowly creeping several yards, Ryoga reached the clearing where the sounds were coming from. What he saw was a complete shock. He was standing behind four scantily clad Amazon warriors as they watched what seemed to be a match between the fifth member of their party and Akane. What was even more amazing was that they seemed to be almost evenly matched as they exchanged blows. The longer he watched though, the more he realized that Akane would eventually win the match. She was more focused and seemed to be more precise in her attacks than the other girl.  
  
  
  
Ryoga found himself wondering when Akane's skill level had improved so drastically. She was better than Ukyou now, and was quickly closing in on Shampoo. Maybe getting away from Ranma had been a good thing for her after all. Without him there to protect her all the time, she had to learn to rely on herself and her own natural abilities.  
  
  
  
One thing was for certain, at the rate she was improving she wouldn't need someone to protect her anymore, she wouldn't need him anymore. Ryoga felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders, this was the closure that he needed to end his one-sided love affair with Akane. Now that he knew that Akane would be able to take care of herself he could leave and not be worried about her well-being. He couldn't leave yet though, he needed to stay just in case those other girls decided to jump into the fight. Akane may have improved, but five Amazons fighting together could be dangerous. He would stay for now, just in case she needed his help.  
  
  
  
  
  
****************  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The village was just starting to wake up from their nightly slumber when Choon Li and his wife entered the village, rushing towards the elders hut. The hour was still very early and the elders probably wouldn't be there yet, but they had to try. They needed to warn the village of the demon.  
  
  
  
The pair was stopped short of their goal when a tall, burly guard stepped from the shadows glowering at them.  
  
  
  
"We need to talk to the elders! It is an emergency!" Choon Li said in a rush. He got very angry when the guard plainly ignored him.  
  
  
  
"We really do need to talk to the elders. It is of the utmost importance," Ling Lao said to the guard in a much calmer tone of voice than the one her husband had used.  
  
  
  
"Every one claims their problem is very important," the guard responded to Ling Lao, much to Choon Li's chagrin. "The elders will be hearing the villager's problems after their morning session. You may return after the noon hour."  
  
  
  
"You don't understand! I am Choon Li, the druid charged in the keeping of the forbidden valley. I need to relay some very important information to the elders and I must do so now! How can I assemble them quickly?"  
  
  
  
The manner in which Choon Li addressed the guard was very shocking to the women in the vicinity. The men of the village were schooled in the proper treatment of women from birth. They were expected to be mild mannered and subservient. All eyes turned to Ling Lao to see if she was going to continue to allow her mate to speak to a woman in such a manner, but no reprimand was to be heard as the guard spoke to the man.  
  
  
  
"Forgive me honored Druid. I did not realize who you were," the guard said, further shocking the women. Then, much to the women's dismay, she bowed to the man. "The elders always tell us to be expecting you, but they never tell us what you look like. Wait here a moment and I will summon the council."  
  
  
  
The guard walked over to the side of the hut and opened a door to reveal a bronze gong. Working quickly, she pulled the gong out of the building, picked up a mallet, and rang it three times. Then she waited precisely ten seconds and rang the gong an additional three times. When she was finished she pushed the gong back into it's storage room and turned her attention back to the Druid.  
  
"You may wait in the council room, the elders will be here shortly."  
  
  
  
With a grand sweep of her arm, the guard stepped aside and allowed Choon Li and Ling Lao to enter the hut. The first thing they saw upon entering the chamber was a huge semi-circular table. The fixture was placed towards the back of the room and had a row of chairs facing it. Quietly, the couple sat down on the front row and waited for the elders to arrive.  
  
  
  
  
  
**************  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Akane was surprised at how well the fight was going. She knew that she had improved a little bit during her training sessions, but she had no idea just how much. The feeling of winning a fight against someone who could probably beat Ukyou was exhilarating to say the least, but she couldn't think about it too much at the moment. She needed to focus on the battle or she would lose. Instead of thinking about how she had improved, she let the knowledge boost her confidence.  
  
  
  
The other girl was charging at Akane with her fist raised to attack. Akane noticed that she didn't fight too proficiently without her weapons, and was suddenly very glad that she had destroyed them early on in the match. Now she not only had a distinct advantage, but she could practice a variety of different moves on the other girl. There was always room for improvement after all.  
  
  
  
Akane was going to dodge out of the way to prepare for the girls next charge, but then noticed how weary the girl looked. As much as she was enjoying the fight, she needed to end it quick, she didn't want to hurt the girl.  
  
  
  
A quick punch between the girl's shoulder blades as she ran past was all Akane needed to do. The girl flew forward and hit the ground hard. When Akane was sure the girl was not going to get back up she turned towards the leader of the group and bowed.  
  
  
  
"Once again, I am sorry that I trespassed on Amazon land. I really meant no harm. I will leave now and not return," Akane said while bowing. Then she straightened up and moved towards her pack.  
  
  
  
"Are you not going to finish off your opponent?" Wu Shan, the leader of the patrol asked.  
  
  
  
"No, I have already won. She is unconscious. Now if you will pardon me, I really need to hurry," Akane said as she grabbed her pack.  
  
  
  
"Do you have any knowledge of Amazon law?" Wu Shan asked Akane before she could go. "Is that why you are in such a hurry to leave?"  
  
  
  
"Yes, I do. I do not wish to harm this girl any further and I will not kill her. So, I need to leave now before she wakes up and can give me the kiss of death. I have nothing but the deepest respect for the Amazon tribe and do not wish to have any problems with them."  
  
  
  
Wu Shan listened carefully to the words the girl was saying to her and heard nothing but the deepest sincerity in them. This girl was not only a strong fighter, she had honor. Maybe she should offer her a choice besides the kiss of death.  
  
  
  
"I would love to have a girl such as you. I have no offspring of my own and I am getting old. I need someone to teach all of my family secrets too," Wu Shan said, watching the other girl's expression very carefully. "How would you like to be adopted into the tribe?"  
  
  
  
Akane could feel her mouth gape open in astonishment as she heard the question. This was an opportunity too good to pass up! If she accepted the offer, she would be able to stay in the village and keep an eye on Jusenkyo. Not only that, but she would be able to train with the Amazons! There were so many techniques and forms to learn! How could she say no?  
  
  
  
"Would be honor to be your daughter," Akane answered in broken Chinese, then bowed deeply to her new mother.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
*******************  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kurumi had already been up for an hour before Natsume emerged from the tent. The older girl took a step and stumbled, almost falling in the process. She quickly regained her balance and continued to tentatively walk towards the campfire, and breakfast.  
  
  
  
"Good morning sister," Kurumi said while closely watching the older girl. If she didn't know better, she would think that Natsume was drunk. "Are you feeling all right?"  
  
  
  
Natsume tried to raise her eyes towards her sister, but found that she couldn't, the sunlight was hurting her eyes.  
  
  
  
"No, I'm not," Natsume said very quietly, something was very wrong with her. "I think I am just going to go back to bed for a little while. Maybe this whole thing will pass."  
  
  
  
Kurumi rushed to her sister's side when fell while attempting to stand. Quickly, she grabbed the older girl around the waist, and then almost recoiled at the touch. Something was wrong with her sister's aura, it almost seemed to be dark and sinister. This couldn't be right, she had to be imagining things again. She was overly tired after all, maybe she was more fatigued than she knew. This was her sister, and her sister would never hurt anyone.  
  
  
  
For the second time that day Kurumi had the feeling that something just wasn't right, and it was making her very tense.  
  
  
  
  
  
********************  
  
  
  
  
  
7.1 A loud, thunderous crashing noise came from the front of the Tendo home, causing Nodoka to jump out of her skin in fright. Whatever had cause that loud of a noise had to be big, and someone was probably hurt.  
  
  
  
Everything that she had been working on was hurriedly set aside and rushed to the front of the house. Thankfully, Soun had beaten her to the door because the hideous beast she saw standing in the yard was enough to make her scream.  
  
  
  
"What do you want Tauro?" Soun said while trying to keep an even temper.  
  
  
  
"Where is femboy? I need to talk to him," PT replied.  
  
  
  
"The boy is headed for China," Soun replied.  
  
"Well then, where is your daughter?"  
  
  
  
"I don't know. She has been missing for several weeks now," Soun said with just a hint of tears in his voice.  
  
  
  
Nodoka stared in amazement at the talking creature. He was obviously one of Ranma's cursed friends. Still, he had completely destroyed the front door to their home and there was no excuse for that.  
  
  
  
"Young man, what is the meaning of this! You may be a friend of my son, but I will not stand for this conduct!" Nodoka said in a scolding tone of voice as she threw a pan of hot water at the thing.  
  
  
  
"Listen lady," PT started to say, but he never got the chance to finish.  
  
  
  
"Don't you talk to me that way! What would your mother say if she saw the damage you have done to our house? Now the way I see things is you have one two choices. You can pay for the damages to our house or I can talk to your mother!"  
  
  
  
"All right already, here," PT said to Nodoka as he tossed her a pouch and turned to walk away.  
  
  
  
Nodoka and Soun stood side by side as they watched the boy walk down the street. After the boy had gone a few yards they heard him yell something to them.  
  
  
  
"If you see femboy before I do warn him that I am looking for him!"  
  
  
  
The pair stood on the porch and watched the boy until he disappeared down the street. Nodoka noticed how relieved Soun seemed to be when the boy was finally out of sight.  
  
  
  
"Who was that?" Nodoka asked out of curiosity.  
  
  
  
"You don't want to know Nodoka, you don't want to know," was the only reply that Soun would give her.  
  
  
  
  
  
************  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ryoga was pleasantly surprised at the end of the fight. Not only had Akane won with ease, she had actually been toying with her opponent at the end. This was a side of Akane he had never seen before, a side that didn't need him.  
  
  
  
He stayed and watched for a few minutes longer to make sure she was going to be all right. Doubts began to arise in him when he saw that the Amazons were not going to let Akane leave the clearing. He removed his pack and mentally prepared to rush to Akane's side just in case he was needed, but nothing happened.  
  
  
  
Akane and the Amazon shook hands and then embraced. Well, this was a turn of events! At the rate Akane had improved, if the Amazons helped her train she would be formidable.  
  
  
  
Silently he wondered if he should step forward now and tell Akane about P-chan, but then quickly changed his mind. Her world was changing so drastically right now, he really shouldn't add to the turmoil. He would tell her later when the time was right.  
  
  
  
After saying a silent goodbye to the girl that he thought he would love forever, Ryoga turned and walked away. He had a promise to fulfill at the Tendo dojo. Hopefully he would get there before anything happened.  
  
  
  
  
  
****************  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Choon Li gently nudged his wife in the ribs when he felt the elders approaching the building. Mentally he started to prepare himself for the challenge ahead. No man in his lifetime had ever been allowed to address the elders; their female relatives always took care of the legal problems.  
  
  
  
Legal troubles were the least of his problems though. He had to find the couple that was talked about in the ancient scrolls, and to accomplish this he was going to have to ask permission to enter the sacred wood.  
  
  
  
"Honored Druid," the matriarch said after all the council had assembled, "no offense, but we were hoping not to see you in our lifetimes."  
  
  
  
"I understand," Choon Li replied, "I hoped not to see you either."  
  
"Well tell us the news," the Matriarch said even though she really didn't want to know.  
  
  
  
"The demon escaped his prison during that last quake and what is worse, he found the dragon," Choon Li replied.  
  
  
  
A collective sound of gasps could be heard coming from all of the elders. The ramifications of his statement were inherently obvious with the women on the council. If the demon could not be stopped then the world would be destroyed.  
  
  
  
"Please remember that the demon only has so many days to find a host body to possess or he will cease to exist," Choon Li told the group before him. "The valley he was imprisoned in is very remote. Besides my wife and children, I have never seen any other people in the area. Hopefully he will not be able to find a host body in time."  
  
  
  
"We still need to be prepared in case he does find a host," the matriarch quickly replied.  
  
  
  
"Yes, we do. That is why I need to find the couple in the prophecy," Choon Li replied. "To do that I am going to need permission to enter the sacred wood."  
  
  
  
"To our knowledge no man has ever been allowed to enter the sacred wood. Why do you seek to do so now?"  
  
  
  
"If the ancient scrolls are correct, then the souls of the fated couple are to be protected by the sacred wood until the final battle. I should be able to find them through meditation in the wood."  
  
  
  
Choon Li looked on nervously as the council conversed quietly among themselves. After a few minutes of debate, he began to worry that he may not be allowed into the wood at all and that could be disastrous. The world's future could possibly be decided by this one decision.  
  
  
  
"You may enter," the Matriarch said to him with a smile while motioning to a guard at the back of the room.  
  
  
  
Feeling her hand on his elbow, Choon Li quickly said goodbye to his wife and then allowed himself to be led away. The guard took him to the back of the room and opened a door that led to an opening at the base of the mountains that the elders hut had been built on. The sacred wood was in the middle of the small valley.  
  
  
  
Fear started to overwhelm him as he heard the door behind him close, and his mind started to fill with what if's. What if he couldn't find the couple? What if he found them but then couldn't find his way back out? What if the demon had already won? He shook himself mentally and started walking forwards. He had no time to be playing those games now.  
  
  
  
Sooner than he had expected, Choon Li reached the middle of the valley and the wood stood before him. The mists that swirled around the base of trees gave a sense of eeriness to the wood and actually managed to make him think twice before entering, but he entered anyways. Whether they knew it or not, the world was counting on him to succeed, and he was not going to let them down.  
  
  
  
With a courage born of determination, he made his way to a path and started to walk down it. After about four turns, he realized that he had walked in a circle and started to look for a way into the inner sanctum. Then he remembered a scroll he had read. It stated that the only way a person could be admitted into the inner sanctum was with a pure heart and mind. So he cleared his thoughts of everything but the fated couple and saving the world. Before he knew what was happening, a link to another path opened before him.  
  
  
  
Quickly he made his way to the other path and decided to follow the brightly lit portion of it. Soon he was in a clearing with an old log in it. He made his way to the log and sat down, preparing for the task that lay ahead of him. Focusing his mind, he started to reach out with his senses, hoping that he would be able to find the fated couple before time ran out. 


	14. 14

1 Lija, you are so right! I asked by friend with the manga (I don't own any) and Pantyhose Taro never spoke in his cursed form. I'm thinking maybe I read that in a fic somewhere. Oh well, I will try to get that fixed asap.  
  
  
  
Thank you for all of the reviews! They were so motivating that I already started chapter 15. Please review and let me know how you like the story so far. ^_^  
  
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6 Starry Night  
  
Chapter 14  
  
  
  
  
  
Looking through the glass on the exam room door, Tofu could see Kasumi clearly as she said goodbye to the last patient of the day and locked the door to the clinic. The setting sun shone through the plate glass making her black, sequenced evening gown sparkle and her hair glow. Turning towards the door he stood behind, Kasumi smiled radiantly at Tofu, almost causing him to go into one of his idiotic fits again. She was breathtaking.  
  
  
  
Crossing the only physical boundary that kept him from the love of his life, Tofu returned Kasumi's smile and took her hand in his.  
  
  
  
"You look simply stunning, Kasumi," Tofu said.  
  
  
  
"Thank you, Tofu," Kasumi replied as a blush spread across her face. "That tuxedo looks very good on you."  
  
  
  
Just then the limo that Tofu had arranged for pulled up to the curb outside of the clinic. Dropping her hand, he stepped forward and held the door open for her, noting the surprised look on her face. Tonight was very important so he was trying to do his best to make it special in every way.  
  
  
  
"You go first," Tofu said to Kasumi as the driver opened the door for them. He noted that she sat in the middle of the back seat, leaving enough room for him on either side. That was all the invitation he needed as he sat next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.  
  
  
  
"Where are we going?" Kasumi asked as she watched the limo pass by all the nice restaurants in the area.  
  
  
  
"I have something special planned for tonight," Tofu said with a smile. "We should be there shortly, enjoy the ride for now."  
  
  
  
"Tell me where we are going, please," Kasumi said with the playful pout on her face.  
  
  
  
Tofu looked at her and almost lost his resolve to keep their destination a secret, so he did the first thing that came to mind, he kissed her. This managed to distract her just long enough. When they finally moved away from each other, they had arrived.  
  
  
  
"Oh my!" Kasumi said in her usual fashion. "Look, all the cherry trees are blooming!"  
  
  
  
"Yes, aren't they pretty?" Tofu asked. "I thought you would like to see them."  
  
  
  
Kasumi leaned back in her seat, contented just to gaze at the cherry trees that lined the street. Slowly the limo wound it's way through the park, until, finally, it reached the bluff that overlooked Tokyo Bay. The sight that greeted Kasumi there completely astounded her.  
  
  
  
The small circular plaza was a sight to see! A garden of deep, red roses, which surrounded the plaza, had four pathways that led the center. Each entryway had a trellis with climbing roses trained to it, and strings of lights intertwined with the roses. Then, in the plaza, there was a fountain that ran the perimeter of the circle. Different colored lights gave the water and ethereal glow as it shot up into the air and arced back down to the fountain bed. In the center of all this beauty was an elegant table set for two with candelabras on either side. To top everything off, in the center of the table was the most gorgeous floral arrangement Kasumi had ever seen. Two blood red poppies were in the middle with a white candle in-between them. Around the poppies was an assortment of pink and white calla lilies and hydrangea with a kind of feathery fern mixed in.  
  
The soft, flickering light of the candles cast dancing shadows across the fine china that was laid on the table. The crisply folded, white napkins were placed in the exact center of each plate. The silverware was neatly set on either side of the plates. The crystal, that was set at the top of the plates, seemed to have it's own individual light burning in each facet on it's surface. The whole atmosphere was so romantic that Kasumi could barely keep her bubbling emotions at bay.  
  
  
  
Gently, Tofu took Kasumi's hand and led her into the plaza. When he came to the table, he led her around to the side that was by the bay and turned so his back was to it. The lights from the harbor down below merrily lit her eyes. Keeping a hold of her hand, he knelt down on one knee and looked up into her face. She could feel his hand tremble as he reached into the pocket on his jacket to produce a ring box.  
  
  
  
"Kasumi, I remember the first time we met like it was yesterday. Akane had hurt herself training, she had those big tears running down her face, and there you stood holding her hand with a patient smile on your face. Never once did you scold her, or admonish her to be quiet. All you did was love and support her." Tofu said as he gazed lovingly into her eyes.  
  
  
  
"I'm not entirely sure, but I think the seeds of love were planted that very day. Every time I saw you, every time I talked to you, every time you did something nice for me the seed would grow more and more." Tofu stopped there, wanting to see how Kasumi would react before continuing.  
  
  
  
"I need you in my life Kasumi, I need to love you. When I am away from you the only thing I can think of is the next time I will be able to see your smile again. I don't ever want you to leave my side! What I'm trying to say is, Kasumi, would you marry me?"  
  
  
  
The tears that Kasumi had been holding back started to slowly make their way down her face as her hands came up to her mouth. She had dreamed of this day for so long and now it was here! Tofu had finally gotten over his silliness and asked her to marry him!  
  
  
  
She glanced down when she felt a firm pressure as Tofu slide the engagement ring on her finger. She hadn't realized that she had been nodding her head until then. Words hadn't been necessary.  
  
  
  
As she watched the man she loved stand back up, Kasumi new she could wait no longer to be with him.  
  
  
  
"Let's get married tomorrow, Tofu," Kasumi whispered.  
  
  
  
  
  
*********************  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The rustic, old building that was slowly appearing on the road in front of Ranma looked anything but promising. He was hoping to find assistance in his search for Akane, he didn't think he would find it here though. The only things that this building brought to mind were endless rolls of red tape.  
  
  
  
"Shampoo, son-in-law, wait for me in the village commons. I must address the council on an urgent matter," Ranma was so preoccupied with he thoughts that he almost didn't hear Cologne speak.  
  
  
  
"Is okay Shampoo train for tournament?" Shampoo excitedly asked Cologne.  
  
  
  
"Yes child, it will do my old heart good to see you win another championship," Cologne said with a warm smile.  
  
  
  
"Tournament?" Ranma said with an involuntary shudder, "Weren't you guys having a tournament the first time I came to the village?"  
  
  
  
"You mean when Shampoo was giving you kiss of death?" Shampoo asked with a giggle.  
  
  
  
"Please, don't remind me," Ranma quickly said.  
  
  
  
Cologne couldn't help but chuckle at the look on the young boy's face, and yet she was saddened by it. All she wanted in life was a secure position in the village for her granddaughter, and marrying Ranma would have guaranteed that, if only he weren't so stubborn. He refused to abide by the village law, he refused to be swayed by her granddaughter's beauty, and he refused to submit to them.  
  
  
  
During the trip to China, while on the boat, she had sat down with Shampoo for a talk. She had told the silly girl to open her eyes and look at the situation. Ranma didn't want to be chased by a girl, and he definitely could not be dominated. If she wanted a chance at Ranma, she would have to stop being so annoying.  
  
  
  
After watching the pair walk off towards the training fields in the square, Cologne turned and continued towards the elders hut. The task before her was not a welcome one, but it had to be done. She would resume her seat on the council, and she would advise them of the dark days that lay ahead.  
  
  
  
  
  
*************************  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sweat rolled down Akane's face as she gasped to regain her breath. The training sessions she had been through with Wu Shan the past few days had been intensive, but none of them compared to today. She was thankful that the whole thing was over for the day.  
  
  
  
Earlier this morning, Wu Shan had sent her a few yards away from the camp and told her to meditate and focus for that evenings activities. So Akane had done that, thinking she was preparing for another one-on-one session with her adoptive mother, but that was not to be. As soon as she re-entered the camp, a gong sounded and the four elite fighters that comprised the guard ran at her.  
  
  
  
Without a second thought, Akane disregarded the fact that she had formed friendships with these girls and went on the offensive. Methodically, she block, parried and retaliated until they fell. Mai Tsu was the first to fall, then Guai Guai, Yang Yang, and finally Xian Nam. She had won the battle, but at what cost?  
  
  
  
Now here she was, bent over with her hands on her knees gasping for breath, wondering what was going to happen next. With a caution born of experience, she kept an eye on all of the Amazon's that surrounded her, waiting for one of to take the next step. The ball was now in their court.  
  
  
  
"Congratulations Akane!" Wu Shan exclaimed as she embraced her adopted daughter. "You are now officially a part of the tribe. We have all witnessed you defeat four of our best warriors. All we have to do now is to put our seals on the papers."  
  
  
  
"So, that was what all of this was about? Is this the only way a person can join the tribe?" Akane asked.  
  
  
  
"No, most people just put a petition before the council of the elders. Only the strongest fighters can choose this option," Wu Shan said with a smile.  
  
  
  
"Well, thank you for your confidence in my abilities, but why didn't you just petition the council?" Akane asked in confusion.  
  
  
  
"There is something I wanted to ask you, but you had to be a member of the tribe first."  
  
  
  
"What is it? Is something wrong mother?"  
  
  
  
"Every year the best warriors of the tribe compete in a tournament to find the strongest and most skilled female. No one in my family has ever competed, but I think you have a good chance at winning. Will you represent our family tomorrow in the tournament?"  
  
  
  
Akane looked at her adoptive mother in surprise. She really thought that Akane had a chance of winning! No one had ever thought that she was this skilled before, well, no one that mattered anyways.  
  
  
  
"I would be honored to represent the family in the tournament." Akane said as she bowed to Wu Shan.  
  
  
  
"Good, we are just an hour from the village. We will head home so we can register you for the competition." Wu Shan said as the women began to break down their temporary camp.  
  
  
  
  
  
*********************  
  
  
  
The main room in the old hut was dimly lit as the shudders on the windows had been closed for this discussion. Cologne had felt that the general populace of the village did not need to know about the up coming events right at this moment in time. She had advised the council of this as she spoke to them about the prophecy, and now she waited.  
  
  
  
Silence reigned in the room as the elders each took a turn reading the scroll that had once belonged to Cologne's mother. There was nothing written on the scroll about defeating the evil that was coming into the world, just the prophecy. At least that was a starting point.  
  
  
  
Cologne stood as the last elder received the scroll, and prepared for the upcoming discussion on how to best handle the situation. She would then tell the council of Ranma and Shampoo.  
  
  
  
Suddenly the door to the inner sanctum opened and Choon Li burst through, a look of jubilation on his face.  
  
  
  
"I have found them honored elders! I felt the presence of the fated ones, and they are both in the village!" Choon Li said as he gasped for breath.  
  
  
  
A calculating smile formed on Cologne's face as she realized what this piece of information meant for her granddaughter. Shampoo would be married to Ranma before the week was over.  
  
  
  
  
  
******************  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kasumi and Nabiki huddled under an umbrella in a vain attempt to stay dry. The main storm had already drifted off to the west, but the residual showers were supposed to linger around all day. This was not the picture perfect day that Kasumi had always dreamed of for the wedding, but she was not going to wait for the good doctor any longer.  
  
  
  
After she had walked through the door of the courthouse, Kasumi stopped to inspect her white dress. When she had awoke to rain that morning she knew she should have worn a different color, but she wanted to look pure for her groom. So she had chosen to wear her white sundress for the occasion. Thankfully, there were no visible stains on the garment.  
  
  
  
"Hurry up Kasumi," Nabiki scolded her sister, "Tofu and Mousse are upstairs waiting for us. We are fifteen minutes late you know."  
  
  
  
Kasumi didn't answer Nabiki as she rushed for the stairs. She knew how far Tofu had come in the past few weeks, and she didn't want to ruin all the progress she had made with him.  
  
  
  
After reaching the second floor, Kasumi rushed around the corner just in time to see that Tofu and Mousse had just reached the window of the registers office. She was just in time.  
  
  
  
"Excuse me." Kasumi politely said to Mousse as moved next to her husband-to-be and took his hand. As one, they stepped up to the window and waited for the clerk to ask their business.  
  
  
  
Mousse felt a lump form in his throat as he heard the couple tell the clerk their names. This is what he had dreamed of doing with Shampoo for so long, but that was just not meant to be. He had known that he would never win Shampoo's heart for a long time, but had refused to admit it to himself.  
  
  
  
Over the years he watched Shampoo as she grew, not only in ability and beauty, but also in cruelty. Recently he had begun to distance himself from Shampoo as she became more and more cruel. The final straw that had broken the camels back was the bombing of Ranma and Akane's wedding. At that point in time he knew that he could never be with Shampoo. He could never be with a person who so obviously didn't care about other people.  
  
  
  
He watched as first Kasumi and then Dr. Tofu affixed their stamps to the documents the clerk was handing them, and felt the emptiness in his heart. There was a hole there that had been left by Shampoo, and he wasn't sure if he would ever find anyone to fill it. For that matter, he didn't even know if he wanted someone to fill the space that she had occupied for so long.  
  
  
  
Feeling something on his hand, Mousse looked down in time to see Nabiki take a hold of his hand. She was watching her sister place her stamp on the final paper with a smile on her face, one of her genuine smiles. Gently, he squeezed her hand in reassurance and watched as the couple in front of him kissed. He may not have Shampoo, but at least he had a good friend.  
  
  
  
  
  
******************  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Akane and Wu Shan listened as the council guard was reading off the names for the first round of matches. They had both decided that if Akane were to be an official part of the tribe that she would need a new name, and they had registered her as Yung Ji.  
  
  
  
Self-doubt and worry began to flood her mind when her name was read. She was going to be competing in the third match and she wasn't sure if she was up to the task. All of her past failures were flashing before her eyes pushing the guards voice into the back of her mind.  
  
A familiar name brought her back to her senses. Quickly her head came up and started to search the crowd for the face. If she had heard right she would need to disguise her face somehow.  
  
  
  
Wu Shan was quite amused with a couple on the other side of the square. They were causing quite a commotion with their game. The lavender haired Amazon was trying to grab a hold of a boy that was desperately trying to escape her.  
  
  
  
A small laugh came from the woman as she turned to see if Akane had also seen the pair. Her amusement was quickly replaced by worry as she caught a glimpse of Akane's ashen face.  
  
  
  
"What is wrong daughter?" Wu Shan asked.  
  
  
  
"That boy and girl over there," Akane said, turning her worried filled chocolate brown eyes towards Wu Shan, "I don't want them to know that I am here."  
  
  
  
"Is that…"? Wu Shan asked Akane with a meaningful glance.  
  
  
  
"Yes, that is Cologne's granddaughter and Ranma." Akane said as she turned to face the other direction.  
  
  
  
"Well, we will just have to find a way to keep your face hidden from them then."  
  
  
  
Wu Shan gave a whistle and soon the girls of the guard were there, surrounding Akane. Hastily, Wu Shan told them of the problem and what she was planning. The girls quickly got to work.  
  
  
  
  
  
******************  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kurumi sat on a rock by the brook sullenly looking into its crystal clear depths. Her sister had been sick for days now and she was starting to get worried. This was not like Natsume at all, even when she was sick she would still get up and walk around. She hated to be stuck in bed.  
  
  
  
Pulling the string of fish she had caught out of the water, Kurumi started to head back for camp. Her sister had been refusing to eat the past few days, but Kurumi was hopeful that she would change her mind tonight. She had managed to catch three of her sister's favorite fish and she was going to prepare them the way Natsume loved so much.  
  
  
  
Kurumi was looking for the skillet in the pack by the tent when she heard a soft rustle. She looked over in time to see Natsume crawl out of the tent and stand up, stretching her arms over her head.  
  
  
  
"Sister!" Kurumi yelled, forgetting about dinner as she hugged the other girl. "You're better!"  
  
  
  
"Yes, I do feel a lot better." Natsume said with a sheepish smile. She still didn't quite feel like her old self, but she didn't want to worry Kurumi any further.  
  
  
  
"I bet you are hungry," Kurumi replied as she reached for the skillet. "I'm going to make you a good supper, and then in the morning we can leave."  
  
  
  
"Yes, that would be a good idea." Natsume answered her sister. She wasn't sure why, but she had a sudden urge to head towards Nerima. "We should leave in the morning. How would you like to go back to Japan?"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
*********************  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ranma watched intently as the young Amazon named Yung Ji headed to the ring for her fifth and final match. He could feel his heart start to race as soon as he caught sight of her long, tanned, muscular leg. Except for Akane, no girl had ever had this kind of effect on him. He felt as though he was cheating on his fiancée, but he just couldn't take his eyes off of this girl. Slowly his eyes traveled up her legs to the tight camouflage shorts that covered her well formed behind. After letting his gaze linger on her bottom for a few seconds, he moved up to her bare midriff and the well-conditioned abs that so wanted to touch.  
  
  
  
Moving his gaze up even further, he came to the hem of the tight, camouflage half-shirt that the girl wore. The fabric in the shirt seemed to want to rip just from the walking movement of her arms. Ranma was amazed that the shirt was still there for that matter, and blushed as he realized that he wouldn't mind at all if it did rip down the middle and fall to the ground.  
  
  
  
The next sight that caught his eyes was the girls shoulder length blue- black hair and the way the sun seemed to gleam off of it. He was surprised to notice that she was facing his direction, and found himself looking at her long slender neck. He started to think of all the different places on her neck that he wouldn't mind kissing before looking up to her face. For the first time that day he started wishing that she wasn't wearing all of that camouflage makeup. Something was stirring deep down within him, and he felt a strong urge to see this girls face.  
  
  
  
Hopefully he glanced at her face, wanting her to be looking his way and found that she was. She had a beautiful smile on her face that literally took his breath away, but that wasn't what caused his heart to skip a beat. He had seen her eyes. Those beautiful, deep, chocolate brown eyes lined by thick, long curling lashes were what had done the trick.  
  
  
  
Suddenly, he knew who this girl was. He had lost himself in those eyes so many times, how could he not know. An urge to run to her and hold her in his arms filled him, but he wouldn't do that yet. She had fought her way to the final round of this tournament, and he was not about to ruin her focus. She would need it as she fought Shampoo.  
  
  
  
  
  
******************  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Akane could feel his eyes on her again, and thrilled in the realization that he found her sexy. All day long she had been avoiding him and had refused to look his way, but now her confidence was running so high that she just couldn't resist.  
  
  
  
She watched his expression as he slowly moved his gaze up her body. Purposely she put a little more swing in her hips for his benefit, and was rewarded by a slight blush that spread across his cheeks.  
  
  
  
Patiently, she waited for his eyes to reach her face. The thing that she missed most about Ranma was his gorgeous cerulean eyes. She swore that she could see his soul reflected in them, and felt this deep-seated need to see them one more time before she carried out her impromptu plan.  
  
  
  
The mere seconds it took for his eyes to reach hers agonizingly seemed like hours to Akane. Finally, she was rewarded for her patience as his gray flecked, blue eyes came to rest on hers. She fought to control her expression as she felt her skin tingle and butterflies in her stomach. There was no way she was going to let him know what kind of an effect he was having on her, not yet.  
  
  
  
Finally, Akane reached the ring and her opponent. Walking to the middle, Akane looked up and could see that Shampoo was seething. She had obviously noticed the little exchange between Ranma and her. This was all for the better. The madder Akane could get Shampoo, the less focused she would be. Now was the perfect time to confront this girl.  
  
  
  
"I have a proposition for you," Akane said in Chinese to Shampoo.  
  
  
  
"Tell me what it is before I pound you for flirting with my future husband," Shampoo hissed through clenched teeth. The crowd around the ring suddenly got very quiet so they could hear the exchange between the two girls.  
  
  
  
"That boy over there, the one with the pig-tail, is he your future husband?" Akane asked.  
  
  
  
"That is him," Shampoo responded with hate-filled eyes. She was angry because Ranma had never looked at her the way he looked at the girl in front of her.  
  
  
  
"Why don't we sweeten the champions prize," Akane said with a saccharin sweet smile on her face. "I have heard that you are the best warrior in the village and no one can beat you, so you have nothing to worry about anyways."  
  
  
  
"Tell me what it is you want," Shampoo said a little more complacently now that Akane had stroked her ego.  
  
  
  
"If I lose you can have the gem around my neck," Akane said wanting Shampoo to take the bait. Earlier, when Akane had discussed her plans with Wu Shan, she had purposely chosen the two karat amethyst necklace knowing that Shampoo would vainly think how pretty the gem would look with her hair. Akane relaxed a little when she realized that Shampoo was interested in the gem.  
  
  
  
"And if I lose, what do you get?" Shampoo asked the girl, never once taking her eyes off of the amethyst.  
  
  
  
"I get you husband to be," Akane said. Behind her she could hear the spectators gasp. She could also hear Ranma ask what was happening and Cologne answer him.  
  
  
  
As Shampoo thought the offer over, dark clouds began to cover the sky in the east and a light rain began to fall. Looking into the crowd, Shampoo spotted Ranma as he changed into a girl and felt the familiar shudder of her revulsion to his girl side. That was all the persuasion that Shampoo needed.  
  
  
  
"You have a deal, now let's fight."  
  
  
  
Outwardly Akane showed no emotion as she assumed her stance, but inwardly she was pleased with herself. Now all she had to do was stoke the fire under Shampoo's temper and win the match.  
  
  
  
A small smirk formed on Akane's face as she noticed Shampoo's leg muscles tense. The girl was going to charge her before she had her bonbori in her hands. She couldn't help throwing in one last barb to insure that she did indeed forget her weapons.  
  
  
  
"That's good, because I can't wait to feel his taut muscles with my fingers."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Finally, Ranma and Akane have come face to face! Hope that was enough to satisfy you guys until the next chapter. I hope I haven't made any of you mad with that cliffhanger, but the story wouldn't be any fun without it. ^_~  
  
  
  
I could really use a pre-reader. If anyone is interested please send me an e-mail.  
  
  
  
Please remember to review. I read all of them, and they motivate me to write future chapters instead of doing the other things I love to do.  
  
  
  
Till the next chapter,  
  
Seong Mi 


	15. 15

Khimenko, I was thinking along the same lines! ^_^ So, when I had already worked around that problem in my outline. Send me an e-mail and tell me what you think.  
  
  
  
I do not in any way own any of the Ranma ½ characters, I just borrow them on occasion to entertain with...  
  
  
  
STARRY NIGHT CHAPTER 15  
  
  
  
Hefting the heavy pack on her shoulder, Kurumi felt herself start to actually relax a little. Tenseness had been an everyday occurrence since she and Natsume had entered this picturesque little valley. Nothing had actually happened during their stay, nothing out of the ordinary anyways. Still she couldn't seem to shake the foreboding feeling that had been haunting her. Now that they were leaving though, she could breath a little easier.  
  
Glancing at her sister out of the corner of her eye, Kurumi noticed that she just didn't seem the same. Her walk didn't have the normal bounce and she wasn't humming to herself. Pursing her lips together Kurumi continued to watch her sister finally deciding that she must still be feeling ill.  
  
"Are you sure you feel up to hiking today?" Kurumi asked, her voice full of concern. "It wouldn't take long to put the tent back up."  
  
"I'm fine, Kurumi," Natsume said with a firm tone. "I am full of energy from lying around for so long. I need to be up doing something."  
  
The two sisters pressed on down the overgrown path that wound before them, an uneasy quiet grew between them. Kurumi didn't know what to say to Natsume anymore. Every time she tried to start a conversation with her sister, she was cut short and left wanting. Natsume, on-the-other-hand, was not in the least bit concerned with Kurumi. She was focused solely on herself, and all of the strange thoughts that were coursing through her head. If she didn't know better she would have sworn that there was another person living in her body with her.  
  
The silence was starting to weigh heavy on Kurumi, she felt like she would bust if something wasn't said soon. The problem was she didn't know what to say to her sister. Almost everything she said to Natsume lately was either ignored or curtly answered. At least she knew one subject that she shouldn't bring up, Natsume's health. She really didn't feel like having her head bitten off again.  
  
"So, why do you want to see the Tendos again?" Kurumi said with a fair amount of trepidation. The scowl that formed on Natsume's face told her that she had said the wrong thing yet again.  
  
"I just have to get to the dojo. I have some unfinished business there."  
  
There were so many more questions that Kurumi wanted to ask, so many things she wanted to know. She never asked though. Natsume was pointedly looking down the road, effectively ignoring her little sister. If she were to say anything now, the words would fall on deaf ears.  
  
Feeling dejected, Kurumi resigned herself to the world of silence that she had come to know so well over the past few weeks. From what she could tell the rest of the journey would follow the same pattern.  
  
  
  
  
  
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"Hey old ghoul, how come Shampoo ain't a cat yet?" Ranma-chan asked, hoping for one particular answer; the one that would lead to his cure.  
  
Cologne cringed inwardly at the crude name that the boy had labeled her with. She held her tongue though, now would not be a good time to have a confrontation. Tuning out the red head next to her, Cologne listened intently to the conversation that was occurring between the two combatants.  
  
"Hey!" Ranma-chan yelled a little vexed at the fact that Cologne was not paying any attention to him. "Can you hear me? Are you deaf too?"  
  
"Quiet!" Cologne commanded as she whacked the insolent boy on the head. She didn't bother to say anything else to the boy, focusing instead on the scene playing out in front of her.  
  
Ranma-chan sat quietly for a few minutes rubbing the top of his head, feeling for the forthcoming bump. Feeling Akane's aura begin to rise, Ranma turned his attention back to the girls. The air between the two crackled with tension as their eyes locked in a mental combat, each daring the other to back down.  
  
Intently, Ranma-chan listened to the pair in the ring, and was quickly confused. For the first time in his life he found himself wishing that he had paid more attention in school. Feeling the gravity of the situation, he watched Cologne's expression to see her reaction to the conversation. He was not disappointed when he saw a look of disbelief cross the old woman's face.  
  
"What's with those two?" Ranma-Chan asked as he saw a smirk form on Akane's face.  
  
Cologne considered not telling the boy of the agreement that the girls had come to, but then thought better of it. If this Yung Ji girl was to win the fight, then Ranma had a right to know. After all, he would be losing the most eligible warrior in the village.  
  
"The warrior in the camouflage made an offer Shampoo couldn't refuse," Cologne said while trying to mask her disapproval of the situation. "If Shampoo wins she gets the amethyst necklace. If Yung Ji wins she gets you."  
  
Watching Ranma closely, Cologne waited for a reaction from the boy. She was sure that he would find the situation distasteful; she was not to be disappointed. Soon a small frown began to work its way onto his features as he thought the situation over, and an irritated gleam shone in his eyes. This was what she had been hoping for, a sign that Shampoo did have a chance with the boy.  
  
"Don't worry, son-in-law, Shampoo doesn't make bets she can't win," Cologne said in an attempt to assuage the boy. All she got in return was a look of contempt. It was almost as if he wanted that Yung Ji girl to win!  
  
As the two combatants started to circle each other, Cologne took a closer look at this Yung Ji girl. There had to be a reason that Ranma would so openly support a total stranger over Shampoo, and she intended to discover it.  
  
  
  
  
  
**********************  
  
  
  
  
  
Shampoo glared at the girl that was standing across from her as she tried to find a hole in her defenses. Although trying to maintain a calm appearance, on the inside she was seething. First that girl had the nerve to challenge her for Ranma's hand, and now she was smirking at her!  
  
Every muscle in Shampoo's body wanted to run across the field and slap that smug little girl right across the face! She would not lose control; she needed to keep her composure. She would not risk losing Ranma to that whelp.  
  
Just as Shampoo had started to take some deep breaths, the girl facing her from across the ring started to make messaging gestures with her hands. In a split second Shampoo lost all of the control she had mustered. Flying across the ring at top speed, she hefted her bonbori above her head and prepared to strike.  
  
As Shampoo was charging, the girl, which she was quickly approaching, came out of her defensive front stance and just stood there, staring at her. Shampoo could feel the top blow off of her anger, and wanted nothing more than to knock that girl's head off of her shoulders. Veering off to the right, Shampoo decided to let her speed work for her, and swung the bonbori in her left hand at the offending girl, hitting nothing.  
  
Quickly, Shampoo turned around to avoid a back attack only to find Yung Ji standing in the same spot as before. The girl had not moved an inch. The flaw in her attack plan was very evident to Shampoo, but she was having trouble containing her anger. There was just something about this girl that was rubbing her the wrong way. Something that Shampoo just couldn't quite put her finger on. Leveling her eyes on her opponent, Shampoo started to employ a calming technique that her grandmother had taught her. Now was not the time to try and figure out the mystery behind this girl. She would do that later.  
  
  
  
  
  
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The amazement that Ranma-chan felt, as he watched the fight between Akane and Shampoo progress, was overwhelming. He knew that Akane had been improving during their nightly training sessions, but he had never actually stood back and watched her fight before. The grace and beauty she exhibited in her simple movements was wonderful, and her speed and dexterity were phenomenal. She was truly a sight to see!  
  
Ranma-chan actually felt himself starting to feel sorry for Shampoo as he saw her raise both of bonbori over her head. She was starting to get desperate. Akane could have defended against that tactic before she had improved. The only thing Shampoo could hope to accomplish with this move was to momentarily distract Akane, giving her a chance to set up for her next move.  
  
There was nothing for Ranma-chan to worry about though. Akane was an Amazon now, being trained by some of the worlds most advanced fighters. That's also what was vexing him though. So many questions kept popping into his head, and they all centered around one person, Akane. How had she been accepted into the tribe? How had she gained the trust of such a secretive society? How was this going to affect their future?  
  
With a few well thought out questions he could probably have his answers that night, but was that the direction he wanted to take. For some reason the idea of pressing her for answers while she was sleeping seemed rather deceitful to him. Probably because he knew that she didn't know he was the real Ranma.  
  
He just couldn't do it. Ending up in the same predicament as Ryoga was not something he wanted. He wanted to build his relationship with Akane on something solid, and lies were just filled with too many holes to suit his purpose. Tonight, after the tournament festivities were over, he would explain everything to her. Until that time though, there was one question that he was burning to have answered.  
  
"Hey, Old Ghoul! Did you and Shampoo find a cure or is she using some of that soap?"  
  
  
  
  
  
**********************************  
  
  
  
  
  
The soft clinks of the ice cubes bumping the sides of the glass had a slightly soothing effect on Nabiki. Across the Nekohatten her family sat at a table chatting, but the pleasant banter did not reach her ears. Ever since Mousse had held her hand, she had been in a world of her own.  
  
The whole incident had been very disturbing for her, but not in an unpleasant way. There in lied the problem. Never before in her life had Nabiki allowed anyone but her sisters to get so close to her, she kept everyone at a distance. Then came Mousse who, with his quiet supportive mannerisms, had managed to worm his way past her well-constructed defenses.  
  
  
  
Nabiki was a firm believer in the concept that there was a perfect match for every person on the planet. Even though she had not been actively searching for hers, she had always assumed that they would cross paths eventually, completing each other in a way that no one else could.  
  
The emotions that were involved with loving someone so deeply was a subject that Nabiki rarely delved into. Love was a subject that she tended to avoid because of the painful memories that she associated with it. Every act of caring, selfless giving reminded her of her mother's love, and the pain she felt when she lost that love. That was a dark period of her life that she did not like to remember, and she never wanted to revisit.  
  
Mousse had managed to do something no other person outside of her family had ever done. He had touched her heart. She had finally found a true friend. Mousse owed her nothing and had no need of her information. For that matter he had never even placed a bet with her. All he did was care about her.  
  
The care he showed for her was not what was bothering her though. The thing that was disturbing her was the plethora of emotions she had felt at his touch. She had never experienced such powerful, raw emotions before. The whole experience left her feeling giddy, yet confused.  
  
"What's wrong," a soft melodic voice whispered into Nabiki's ear, startling her out of her reverie. Nabiki turned to look at Kasumi, trying to decide whether or not she should confide in her sister.  
  
"I'm not sure, sis," Nabiki said as the gentle, caring look in Kasumi's eyes began to make her feel comfortable. "Mousse has become a really good friend."  
  
Kasumi waited a few seconds for Nabiki to continue, but when she noticed that she was at a loss for words, she interjected.  
  
"Did you feel uncomfortable when he held your hand?" Kasumi tenderly asked.  
  
"It didn't really bother me, it's just that.I don't know," Nabiki responded in exasperation. She turned and started to walk away, but then went back to where Kasumi waited. "He made me feel things that I have never felt before. I just don't know what to make of all of this."  
  
"Why don't you think about this for a while. Try and figure out what exactly what you feel," Kasumi said with an understanding smile, she had gone through the same thing with Tofu not that long ago. "We can get together in a couple of days and we will talk."  
  
"Why a couple of days? We're both here now. Come on, tell me what you felt for Tofu in the beginning," Nabiki replied.  
  
"I think you might need to sort through some of this on your own before asking someone else how their experience was. They are not all the same," Kasumi said with a wink and started to walk back to the table. Then, as an afterthought, she said over her shoulder, "I think you should put some of that ice in the glasses."  
  
A soft blush crept its way across Nabiki's face as she looked down and saw ice littering the counter all around the glasses.  
  
  
  
  
  
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For what seemed like the hundredth time that day, Ryoga found himself walking around a corner in the hopes that this one would reveal the street that would lead him to the Tendo Dojo. The only thing that was keeping him going was the knowledge that he was in Tokyo, or at least he thought he was. A few streets back he had stopped to read the address on the side of a business, and he was certain that it had said Tokyo.  
  
After walking for a few minutes, the scenery that Ryoga was passing began to look familiar to him. The further he went, the more things he recognized. Finally, his long journey came to an end as he stopped in front of a closed wood gate.  
  
Giving a push, Ryoga stepped into the Tendo compound and headed for the door to the house. He hadn't wanted to return to this place with its memories of Akane, but he had made a promise to a friend and he intended to see it through.  
  
Ryoga hesitated for a moment before knocking on the front door, expecting an explosion of heart-wrenching memories that never came. Instead of heartache he was feeling something new, something that he had never really experienced before. There was a warm, bubbly feeling flowing through him that made him want to smile. Whatever the feeling was it made him feel better than his almost continual depression. He also enjoyed it more than the short burst of exhausting nervousness that he felt around Akane, this one was much more comforting.  
  
Minutes passed, and the door was never answered. Carefully, Ryoga skirted around the outside of the house. In an attempt not to get lost, his hand never left the wall until he reached the doors to the dojo. Stepping into the cool darkness within, he sat and waited for the family to return home.  
  
  
  
  
  
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The trip from across the sea between Japan and China was never an arduous task, but it was one that Pantyhose Tauro didn't particularly like. The flight seemed to take forever with no one to talk to, and nothing to look at except for the endless blue waters. Occasionally a pod of dolphins could be seen playing on the waves, but they just provided a momentary distraction to the monotony of the journey. Considering everything, he was just happy to be on the ground again.  
  
To say the least, he was more than happy to be on the ground again, even if he was in Amazon territory. For some reason, he had a feeling that he could find fem-boy in the Amazon village. Anytime fem-boy ever went to China that was where he always ended up.  
  
Fate was working in Pantyhose Tauro's favor, the village was not heavily guarded. Sneaking around the village would have been out of the question if the they had been at their posts. There was no way he would have been able to walk around with his umbrella and not be noticed by one of them. At least he hadn't gotten wet yet then he really would have noticed.  
  
Still, the fact that the guards were missing was bothering him. For all he knew, he could be walking into some trap that fem-boy set up for him. Until he knew what was happening and where everyone was, there was no way he would start to relax.  
  
A loud noise up ahead of him caught his attention. It sounded as if there was a crowd assembled up ahead. The thought of getting caught was looming in his mind, so he cautiously made his way forward to see what was happening. He paused at the last hut that he came to and peered around the corner, he had come to the village square. Suddenly he knew where all of the guards were. For that matter, he knew where everyone was.  
  
  
  
  
  
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Akane managed to glare at Shampoo, in spite of the rain that kept getting into her eyes. Every now and again the image before her would go blurry, but that didn't matter. She could tell by the amount of hot ki the girl was putting off that she was beginning to get very angry. All Akane needed to do now was maintain her cool.  
  
"You want me to stand still so you can hit me?" Akane asked with an innocent grin on her face.  
  
Silently she watched as the anger smoldered in Shampoo's eyes, the girl looked like she was going to erupt. Just as quickly as her temper flared, she was able to bite some of it back.  
  
"I don't need any favors from the likes of you," Shampoo replied. "Don't you know who I am?"  
  
"Yeah, you're the little kitten that likes to pretend it's human. Glad to see you had enough no-change soap, otherwise I would have squashed you by now," Akane shot back with an edge in her voice.  
  
"Looks like the forest girl needs to be shown her place," Shampoo said. "Ranma is my husband, and no one is going to take him from me!"  
  
Before anything more could be said, Shampoo raised both of her bonbori over her head and made a reckless rush towards Akane. This was more than Akane could have hoped for. All she needed to do now was side step the attack and then land a punch between Shampoo's shoulder blades.  
  
Just before Shampoo could reach her Akane took her stance and waited to make her move. Expecting to see the bonbori being brought down on top of her head, Akane almost didn't see Shampoo plant her feet. Before she knew what was happening, the other girl had sprung up in the air and was beginning to arc over her head.  
  
Without even thinking Akane dropped to the ground, relieved to see the two bonbori pass through empty air. Moving quickly, she came up into a crouching position, and rolled backwards like she was doing a summersault. When her hands were firmly planted on the ground, instead of completing the roll, she extended out into a front extension aimed for Shampoo's midsection.  
  
Akane's feet connected with Shampoo's stomach before the girl could complete her flip, filling Akane with a satisfaction she had never felt before. The wounded girl fell to the ground, gasping for air, letting her bonbori roll out of her hands. Acting on the opportunity that presented its self, Akane ran towards the girl and grabbed the bonbori, throwing them into the growing crowd.  
  
"Oh, did I hurt you?" Akane asked Shampoo with mock empathy. She continued to stand over the girl until her breathing started to become less ragged; then she backed away.  
  
"So, Yung Ji, you are scared of me!" Shampoo said to Akane after she had stood up.  
  
"Not at all, I just wanted to make sure you had enough room to move," Akane returned with a smile. "Wouldn't want to cramp your style, you know."  
  
Once again Akane could feel Shampoo's ki start to swell. This time though when the girl started to charge at her, Akane made her own charge. The anticipation she felt for the up coming melee was so great that she couldn't help but smile. She had waited for this moment for so long! Finally, she was holding her own against Shampoo, and she could even win this bout.  
  
Shampoo's ki started to grow even hotter causing Akane to chuckle. Shampoo was losing and she knew it! The thought helped to boost her confidence off the charts, but she still kept her wits about her. She had seen enough of Ranma's fights to know what could happen if she allowed herself to get too cocky. This was one fight she could not lose! She needed to give Ranma his freedom.  
  
When Shampoo was just a little shy of an arms length away from Akane, she planted her foot for a spinning kick aimed at her opponent's head. Quickly assessing the situation, Akane stopped and waited for Shampoo's foot to get closer to her, planting her feet and lowering her center of gravity as she waited.  
  
When Shampoo's foot started to reach its apex, Akane reached up with her hands and grabbed ahold of it. Akane decided to use Shampoo's momentum to her advantage and pivoted in the same direction the other girl had been going. Then, like she was no more than a rag doll, Akane released Shampoo's foot and flung her into a tree several yards away. Shampoo fell to the ground unconscious.  
  
  
  
  
  
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Pantyhose Tauro watched closely from his spot by the hut. From where he stood not only did he have a good vantage point of the fight, he could clearly see Ranma-chan. What he saw greatly pleased him.  
  
The first thing that happened was this girl took out Shampoo, the champion of the village. The second thing that happened was fem-boy, who was known to be Shampoo's unwilling husband, showed more than a passing interest in the girl. He needed to find out who the girl was.  
  
The rain stopped as the girl, Yung Ji, was declared the winner of the fight. Soon after the prize was awarded the crowd began to dissipate, giving Pantyhose Tauro the opportunity he was waiting for.  
  
Blending in with the crowd, he started to make his way towards the group of women that surrounded the girl. The plan was to use some of the baser animal instincts he seemed to have inherited with his curse to smell the scents in the air surrounding the group. He had an idea of who this girl was; she looked very familiar. He had to know for sure though, and if she was who he thought she was then he would recognize her smell.  
  
He stopped at the edge of the crowd a few feet away from his quandary. This was the closest that he could get. Closing his eyes and turning his nose slightly up towards the breeze, he inhaled deeply and began to try to sort through the myriad of scents that he smelled. He ignored all of the unfamiliar scents, tossing them aside like an unwanted bone.  
  
Soon he was rewarded for his diligence as he came across the scent he wanted. He could clearly remember the first time he had smelled the tantalizing aroma, it was as if no time had passed at all. The building perched high up on the cliff, and the scared, yet defiant girl that he held there. She had impressed herself so well upon him that he would never be able to forget her musky aroma of sandalwood and lavender.  
  
This was going to greatly help his plans along. There was no way he would ever try to harm Akane Tendo again, but if he could find someone else to do it for him then he could get fem-boy while he was down. Now all he had to do was wait for an opportunity to talk with the all-around loser. Knowing how competitive the two girls were, he could just imagine how Shampoo would react when she found out whom she had lost to.  
  
  
  
  
  
*******************************  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"To Kasumi and Tofu!" the cheer echoed across the empty dinning room, the raised glasses clinked in reply.  
  
  
  
Except for one person, every person shared the merry atmosphere in the room. He tried to hide his anguish though. This was his daughter's day after all, and he did not want to ruin it. So instead of crying, he glued a smile on his face. He owed her that much.  
  
"Are you having a good time Daddy?" Kasumi asked Soun after she had noticed him taking a shuddering breath.  
  
He didn't answer right away; instead he closed his eyes and tried to squash his melancholy mood. After a few minutes he decided that, for him, a festive mood would not be possible that day, he would have to muddle through.  
  
"I'm fine Kasumi," he said, giving her a weak smile. The concerned look in her eyes let him know that she didn't believe him. He didn't want to ruin her special day, but he had no choice. He knew Kasumi, and she wouldn't leave until he told her what was wrong.  
  
"I wasn't there when you became Tofu's wife," Soun said with a sigh. "I had no clue that Akane was hurting so much until she left. Other than her love for money, I really don't know Nabiki at all, and now I have missed your marriage. Even if all you did was see a judge and sign papers, I wasn't there."  
  
Some of Soun's remorse left him when he felt Kasumi gently take his hand in hers. There was so much he regretted, so much he had missed being a part of.  
  
"I have spent so much time in my own little world mourning over the loss of your mother that I have missed my time with you girls," Soun said while looking down at the floor. He was too full of shame to look his eldest daughter in the eye. "You have grown into a beautiful lady despite my shortcomings, and you have raised your sisters to be incredible women. I, I apologize for not being there."  
  
His heart began to break as he felt Kasumi let go of his hand and start to walk away. Tears began to course down his face as he thought about how unforgivable his crimes against his daughters were. He had forced two of them to mature at such a young age by saddling them with the running of a household, and the other he had forced into an unwanted engagement.  
  
As far as he was concerned, there was only one honorable thing left for him to do, correct his mistakes. He would take care for himself and get Nabiki to show him the books for the household finances, but first he had to talk to Saotome. His little girl should not have to suffer because he was an imbecile.  
  
Wiping his eyes before he headed back to the table, Soun tried to regain his composure. It would never do for him to be blubbering when he went to talk to his friend. He needed to be taken seriously. The sound of Kasumi walking away from him was still ringing in his ears, reminding him of what he had lost.  
  
Just as he was looking up, Soun felt two pairs of arms encircling him. His girls were there. Timidly he looked up into their faces, afraid of what he might see there.  
  
The love that he saw radiating in their eyes shocked him, and made him realize just how little he really knew about his girls. Realizing that he had a lot to make up for, he wrapped his arms around Kasumi and Nabiki. At that moment Soun vowed to try and be more like the man he had been while their mother was alive. No longer would he allow himself to be a blubbering idiot.  
  
  
  
  
  
***********************  
  
  
  
  
  
Standing on a dais, Akane could see practically everybody who had come to see the ceremony. She quickly scanned the crowd, searching for the one face that she wanted to see more than anything. Finally she found him, standing in the back of the crowd. He was looking right at her.  
  
For a brief moment their eyes meet, and she shyly smiled at him. Even though they were several yards apart, she could tell that he was upset with her. She could almost feel his emotions. Anger, disbelief, relief and admiration were all forming a jumbled mess within his mind. There were two more emotions that she couldn't quite identify though. They were encircling the other emotions, keeping them at bay.  
  
Before she could probe deeper into those emotions, their brief contact was broken when she heard elder Soon Hee calling her name.  
  
"Yung Ji, Xian Pu please step forward," the matriarch of the tribe commanded with a quiet tone. She waited as the girls approached her from opposite sides of the stage.  
  
"Xian Pu, you have long been the champion of our tribe. For years our best warriors have been trying to take the title from you, but to no avail. Every time a fellow warrior would challenge you, you would quickly defeat her." Soon Hee looked over at the purple haired girl and noted the forced look of acceptance on her face. This defeat would give the girl a much needed lesson in humility.  
  
  
  
Akane also noted the look on Shampoo's face, and silently prayed that the girl never found out who she was.  
  
"Finally, the tribe has been able to train a warrior that rivals Xian Pu! This is indeed a wonderful day for the Amazons!" Soon Hee said as she threw her fists in the air over her head. "With two such powerful warriors training our youth, we will become stronger than ever!"  
  
To the amazement of both Ranma and Akane, every person in the crowd started to cheer wildly at that last proclamation. They both knew how seriously Cologne had taken Shampoo's training, but they had no idea that the whole tribe was like that.  
  
"Yung Ji, please step forward." Once again the matriarch waited as Akane approached her.  
  
"Xian Pu, if you would be so kind as to acknowledge the new champion of the village," Soon Hee said while looking between the two girls.  
  
With a false smile pasted on her face, Shampoo took a step towards Akane. She reached to the bangle on her upper arm and removed it. Akane had seen Shampoo wearing that bangle several times on special occasions, but she had never understood its significance until now.  
  
Akane smiled in spite of the harsh grasp with which Shampoo had taken a hold of her arm, and graciously accepted the bangle from its previous owner.  
  
"Congratulations Yung Ji!" Soon Hee said as soon as the exchange was complete. The crowd erupted in cheers again as Shampoo walked back to stand with her great-grandmother.  
  
Soon Hee grabbed Akane's hand and raised it in the air as the crowd's cheers grew louder, but Akane wasn't paying attention. She was focused on Ranma. For some reason that she couldn't explain she knew that he was going to try to talk to her after she had collected her prize, she didn't want that to happen. She was not ready to try to explain things to him yet.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
************************  
  
  
  
  
  
"Stop for the night, child," Natsume heard the bodiless voice in her head. She had been hearing this voice since yesterday and thought that something in the valley had been adversely affecting her, but here it was again. Taking a few more steps, she tried to resist the voice, but it was no use. With each step she took, the voice laughed and sent waves of pain crashing through her head. She had to obey.  
  
"There child, in that grove of trees," Natsume seemed to instinctively know which way to turn her head. "That is where we will make camp for the night."  
  
The bright light of the afternoon sun started to hurt her eyes causing them to squeeze shut. There was no use. She knew that no matter how much she wanted to continue to the coast there was no way she was going to be able to make it.  
  
"Kurumi," Natsume said while pointing off into the distance, "let's make camp in that grove of trees."  
  
Natsume watched as worry started to inch its way onto her sister's face. Briefly, she felt a moment of comfort as she realized how much Kurumi cared for her. She felt awful for dragging her sister into this mess, but she just couldn't bring herself to leave her.  
  
This was an issue that she had been tearing her apart for some time now. She love Kurumi very much and only wanted the best for her. The thirst for vengeance was so over powering though. There was no way that Natsume would be able to defeat Ranma on her own, and so her sister stayed with her.  
  
Deep down Natsume knew that she was bringing about her own demise, but she could not help herself. She had grown up without a family or home, never knowing what it was to feel secure for the night. Then, when she had finally found all of those things, Ranma and Akane had taken them all away from her. They took away the man that she had thought of as her father for so long, they had taken away the home she had found, and they had taken away her newfound pride.  
  
The day she left the dojo, she had vowed to get revenge on those two for ruining her life. That was what she had been working towards till this very day. The thought of revenge had been the fuel for her fire. It had so wholly obsessed her that she had started to ignore the world around her, including Kurumi.  
  
Now that the voices had come, she finally understood how wrong she was, but it was too late. She couldn't back down now, the voices wouldn't let her. The dojo had to be hers so she could show the world who the true master was.  
  
"Natsume!" Kurumi yelled, trying to get her sister's attention. Natsume stopped walking towards the trees and turned to look at her little sister.  
  
"What is wrong with you?" Kurumi asked on the verge of tears.  
  
"Nothing sis," Natsume said with a smile. "I just think I was pushing myself a little too hard. I need to rest for a while before we can continue to Japan."  
  
"Ok, why don't you sit down while I put up the tent. Then you can sleep while I make some dinner," Kurumi said and then continued to walk towards the trees. Natsume was more than willing to comply.  
  
  
  
  
  
*******************  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Mother," Akane said as she made her way to the side of the stage that her group of friends was standing on. "I need some help again."  
  
Wu Shan quickly looked the girl over. Just as soon as Soon Hee had released her hand, Akane had bolted over to them. She needed to make sure there was nothing wrong with her adopted daughter.  
  
"What is it," Wu Shan asked when Akane had gotten closer to the group.  
  
"Do you remember the boy I was telling you about earlier?" Akane asked quickly.  
  
"Yes, Xian Pu's ex-husband. The boy in the red shirt with the pig tail." Wu Shan replied.  
  
"Well, I think that he is going to want to talk to me."  
  
"Is there a problem with that? He is your husband now."  
  
"You don't understand! I don't want to force him to marry me!"  
  
"Oh, you want him to come to you of his own free will."  
  
"Yes, besides he doesn't even know who I am right now. I don't want him thinking that he has been pawned off on another woman."  
  
"I understand," Wu Shan said sympathetically. "I think I have an idea of what we can do."  
  
"Quick, tell me!" Akane eagerly said.  
  
"Patience child," Wu Shan admonished. "I need to speak with the matriarch to make sure it is legal, then I will tell you. Wait here."  
  
Anxiously, Akane scanned the crowd. She had lost sight of Ranma when she bolted to the side of the stage and didn't know exactly where he was. She seemed to be able to sense him though, and she knew that he was still extremely close by.  
  
A hand reached out and tapped Akane on the shoulder, causing her to jump. She quickly turned to see Wu Shan smiling at her.  
  
"Come child. I will tell you what we are going to do on our way to collect your reward."  
  
Akane obediently followed.  
  
  
  
  
  
********************  
  
  
  
  
  
After making a quick stop for some hot water, Ranma tried to make his way to Akane as quickly as he could, but was making little progress. The majority of the crowd was traveling in the opposite direction, trying to take him with them. He kept pressing on though. He needed to reach the prize table before Akane got there.  
  
Up ahead, in the distance, Ranma could make out a table heaped with various types of food. Akane was nowhere to be seen, but he still knew that he had to hurry. For some reason he got the distinct feeling that she was trying to avoid him.  
  
Determination took a hold of him as he continued to push his way through the crowd. The sight of the winner's table continually growing closer caused his anticipation to grow. He was just a few feet away from his goal when he saw Akane and her friends walk out to the table and start to collect the winnings.  
  
"Yung Ji!" Ranma yelled, not knowing if anyone knew who she really was. "Yung Ji, wait!"  
  
Akane's head snapped up the second time he yelled at her. He was sure that she would wait for him, but instead she seemed to be moving faster.  
  
Frantically he tried to speed his progress through the crowd so she could reach her, but they didn't seem to understand his urgency. He was just reaching the edge of the crowd when Akane turned and walked off down the road. He couldn't believe what he saw! She knew that he was there and she was still choosing to walk away!  
  
Much to his relief, two of the girls that were at the table with Akane had stayed behind. They never took their eyes off of him as he made his way towards the road that Akane went down. Silently he wondered where they were going to take him.  
  
"Hi guys!" Ranma said as he started to walk past the two girls. He quickly stopped when a short sword and bonbori appeared in his face.  
  
"Hey, what's that for!" Ranma yelled at the two girls.  
  
"Yung Ji does not wish to see you," the girl with the short sword said, "she asked us to give you a message."  
  
Ranma stared at the two girls, not quite believing what he was hearing. He looked down the road all the way to where it disappeared into the trees, but saw no sign of Akane. He would listen for now. Hopefully they would make his job easier and just take him to Akane.  
  
"Yung Ji says that she understands your plight, she knows what it is like to be forced into an unwanted engagement. That is why she fought Xian Pu for your hand." The girl with the bonbori said. "Everyone in the village knew about you and Xian Pu. Everyone knew that you didn't want anything to do with her."  
  
"That is why she made the deal with Xian Pu," the girl with the short sword took over. "Yung Ji believes that every person should be able to choose their own mate. She is setting you free. She wants you to know that you have no further obligations to her, and that Xian Pu should no longer bother you either."  
  
Ranma just stared at the girls in complete silence. After Cologne had told him of the deal Akane made with Shampoo, he had spent most of his day being upset with her. Now he wasn't sure what he felt. Part of him was happy that one of his fiancées understood that he didn't want to be forced into anything. The other part of him was hurt that Akane didn't seem to want him. He wasn't sure what to think anymore.  
  
The girl with the bonbori put her weapon away when she saw the look on his face and approached him. Tenderly, she reached out and put her hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Please understand that Yung Ji didn't want to hurt you. She just wanted to give you the freedom to choose your own future."  
  
A deep ache started to throb in Ranma's heart causing him more pain than he had ever felt in his life. He started to run off in the opposite direction that Akane had gone. He needed to be alone.  
  
  
  
  
  
***********************  
  
  
  
Ryoga quickly awoke from the nap he was taking when he heard the door to the dojo slide open. The bright light shinning in blinded him for a moment, but when his eyes adjusted he was awestruck by the beauty before him.  
  
A girl with long, flowing brown hair stood in the doorway. The sun, which was directly behind her, formed a halo of light around her body, which made her look like she was glowing. For second, Ryoga thought he had died and gone to heaven.  
  
"Hey, sugar," the creature in the doorway said, "what are you doing here? Did you get lost again?"  
  
"Oh, it's you Ukyou," Ryoga said, regretting the fact that she was his angel. "Ranma asked me to come help out at the dojo while he was gone."  
  
Ukyou crossed the room and sat in front of Ryoga. She gave him a small smile before she continued.  
  
"You too? He asked me to help out just before he left to find Akane."  
  
"Why didn't you stop him?" Ryoga asked.  
  
Ukyou didn't answer right away, instead she got a far away look in her eyes. Ryoga just sat and looked at her, wondering why he never noticed how cute she was before.  
  
"I guess you can say I rudely had my eyes opened," Ukyou finally answered. "Well maybe not rudely, but I did have reality thrown in my face."  
  
"What do you mean?" Ryoga asked, a little upset from the hurt look in Ukyou's eyes.  
  
"Ranma came to my shop the day he left to look for Akane. He spelled everything out for me," Ukyou said with a sigh. "I didn't want to believe him at first, but then when I started to cry he just walked away. I could always get him to stop with my tears before, but not this time."  
  
"So you knew that he was serious?"  
  
"Yeah, that was when I knew that I didn't have a chance with him. You know what though? Losing him doesn't hurt as much as I thought it would."  
  
"I know what you mean. When I came here I thought I would be all depressed over losing Akane, but it wasn't like that."  
  
"It was more like a relief," they both said in unison, and then started laughing.  
  
"Well sugar, are we both a bunch of chumps or what? We both wanted something we couldn't have, only to find out we never really wanted it."  
  
"Yeah, it's funny isn't it," Ryoga said.  
  
They both sat quietly after that, lost in thought. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, but rather companionable.  
  
"You know," Ryoga said after a few minutes, " I think I liked Akane because it was safe."  
  
"What do you mean?" Ukyou asked.  
  
"She loved my pig form. Deep down I knew that she would never love my human form because I saw the way she looked at Ranma."  
  
"So either way you knew that she would always love you in one form," Ukyou finished for him.  
  
"Yeah and it was the one I hated the most. She loved the part of me that I hated."  
  
"I don't think I ever really loved Ranma," Ukyou admitted after they had sat in silence for a few more minutes. " I was so focused on getting Ranma and then I found out that he was a nice guy. All of a sudden I didn't want to hurt him anymore, so I kind of switched tracks."  
  
"So your telling me that since you couldn't get him through revenge that you decided to get him through marriage?" Ryoga asked incredulously.  
  
"Hey, don't make fun of me! I've never told that to anyone!" Ukyou said trying to defend herself. "Yeah, it went something like that, but with less thought."  
  
"Well, if you are going to help around here you had better get up," Ukyou said while jumping up. "I'm in charge of teaching the beginners class and they are due to show up any minute."  
  
"What do you want me to do?" Ryoga asked, standing up as well.  
  
"Help me warm up, would ya? I haven't had a good sparring partner in a while."  
  
Ryoga smiled at Ukyou and then bowed. Things were definitely starting to look up for him.  
  
  
  
***********************  
  
"Name please," the lady at the front desk asked the couple standing before her.  
  
"Dr and Mrs. Ono," Dr Tofu said as he looked at the beautiful woman standing next to him.  
  
"Ah yes, here we are. The honeymoon suite," the lady said without looking up. Pulling open the drawer next to her, she quickly pulled out two key cards and put them in an envelope.  
  
"Congratulations," she said, finally looking up. She smiled warmly at them and shook their hands after handing over the keys to the room.  
  
The walk to their room was spent in complete silence, each of them lost in thought about what the night would hold. After what seemed like an eternity to each of them, the porter stopped in front of a door and opened it for them.  
  
The room that they were looking into was beautiful to say the least. After the porter had put the bags in the room, Tofu picked Kasumi up in his arms and carried her into the room, closing the door behind him. A goofy grin could be seen on the porter's face as he walked back to the front desk. He knew that the couple in there was too occupied to think about his tip.  
  
  
  
  
  
*****************  
  
  
  
  
  
Shampoo sat under a tree in front of her great-grandmother's hut. The day was starting to cool off as the sun started to set leaving a chill in the air. Shivering as a breeze blew past her, Shampoo rubbed her arms, refusing to get up. She had been sitting there since the festivities had ended, fuming over the girl she had lost to.  
  
In her mind she should have won the fight. After all her fighting skills were far superior to that girl! What made her even madder was that Ranma had not even been upset that he was the husband of this new girl! For that matter Shampoo had seen him searching her out after she had collected her prize! How could he treat her that way after everything she had done for him?  
  
A familiar presence brought Shampoo out of her reverie. She looked up in time to see Pantyhose Tauro sit down next to her.  
  
"There's something I think you should know," Pantyhose said before she could tell him to leave. "I know who Yung Ji is."  
  
"Yeah, she's an Amazon warrior," Shampoo said as she started to get up. Pantyhose Tauro put a hand on her shoulder to keep her from leaving.  
  
"She is more than just an Amazon warrior, and I think you know that." Pantyhose stopped there and waited a second for the information to soak in. "I have a proposition for you."  
  
"First tell me who Yung Ji is and then I will listen to your proposition," Shampoo said while knocking his hand off of her shoulder.  
  
"You have to listen to the proposition before I give you the information, or there is no deal." Pantyhose said with a smile.  
  
"Are you related to Nabiki?" Shampoo said in exasperation. "Tell me your proposition."  
  
"I want you to help me set a trap for Ranma" Pantyhose quickly said.  
  
"Why would I want to help you do that?" Shampoo asked. "I would never help anyone hurt Ranma."  
  
"Did you know that they have been plotting against you the whole time?" Pantyhose Tauro casually asked.  
  
"Who has?" Shampoo asked.  
  
"Ranma and Yung Ji," Pantyhose Tauro responded. He was happy to see that his plan was working.  
  
"Ranma doesn't know Yung Ji," Shampoo frantically insisted. She would not allow herself to think that Ranma had purposely done something to hurt her.  
  
"Yes he does Shampoo," Pantyhose Tauro said with a smile. "Yung Ji is none other than Akane Tendo."  
  
Shampoo had to stop and think after hearing the answer. She knew that she should never help to bring about the demise of a fellow Amazon, but this was different. Those two had humiliated her for the last time! She would show Ranma who the better girl was!  
  
The look on Shampoo's face was all the answer that Pantyhose Tauro needed. Smiling, he thought about how wonderful his plan had turned out. He had gotten Shampoo to go after Akane and no one knew of his involvement. Now all he had to do was wait until Shampoo had Ranma distracted enough, then he would go in for the kill.  
  
  
  
  
  
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The sun was starting to go down on the valley as Ranma emerged from the woods in search of Akane. He had been thinking all day about the message that Akane had left for him and had come to the conclusion that he had to tell her what he felt. Then, if she still decided to let him go, he could accept her decision knowing he had been able to lay all of his cards on the table.  
  
When he had started walking, he wasn't quite sure where he was headed. For that matter he still wasn't sure where he was headed. All he knew was that he had a feeling in his body that he was getting closer to Akane. It was almost as if her ki was drawing him towards her, like a magnet.  
  
After walking a little further, Ranma began to recognize the scenery he was passing. There was no way he could forget the area. He was coming up on the valley of Jusenkyo.  
  
Goosebumps rose on his arm as he remembered the last time he had been in the valley. That was a period of his life that he wished he could erase. The guilt he felt at having to take a life was enormous, but he really didn't have a choice. Saffron should have just let him cure Akane before he had turned the water hot, but nothing in his life could ever be that simple. So he found himself having to chose between the girl he loved and taking a life. He didn't even have to think about it, he would always choose to save Akane.  
  
In the distance he could see a large lake reflecting the colors of the twilight sky. Without hesitating, Ranma altered his course and started to head towards the lake. He watched the surface of the water as he walked. Slowly the colors began to give way to tiny points of light until the entire surface was like a piece of bejeweled black velvet.  
  
Following the pull that he felt within his heart, Ranma walked around the shore until he saw a body lying in the grass next to the water. He didn't need to be told that it was Akane; he just knew that it was her.  
  
He sat next to her in silence for a few moments, entranced by the sight of her eyes. They were literally glowing from the starlight that was being reflected by them. The only thought that came to his mind was how much he wanted to kiss her, but he couldn't do that. Not yet anyways.  
  
"Hello Yung Ji," Ranma said, pretending he didn't know who she was.  
  
"Hello, Ranma," Akane replied still gazing at the stars.  
  
"I wanted to thank you for giving me my freedom."  
  
"I had too. I know how frustrated a person can feel when they have no say about their future."  
  
"Yeah, I know what ya mean. I had three fiancées being forced on me, and a wacko that claimed me as her own." Ranma lied down as he was talking, putting his arms under his head. "No matter where I went, two of my fiancées were always trying to get me alone, and the third one was always getting jealous."  
  
"So, what happened?" Ranma could hear the hurt in her voice at his description of her, but decided to continue anyways.  
  
"Well, that was pretty much my life for a while. The two were always trying to get me to choose them and the wacko would show up just to aggravate me."  
  
"Well, what about the jealous one?"  
  
"She was the only one that didn't try to force me into picking her. For that matter I think she wanted her freedom to choose too. You see, our fathers engaged us when we were born."  
  
"Really, at least she sounds nicer than the other two."  
  
"Yeah, she is. She sure is something."  
  
"Sounds like you like her," Akane said, her voice showing her newfound interest.  
  
"Yeah, I do," Ranma responded, and then took a deep breath. He needed to keep his wits about him before he wound up putting his foot in his mouth again. "You'd understand if you meet her."  
  
"Well, tell me about her."  
  
"She is the most beautiful person I have ever met. She is kind and caring, well at least when I'm not making her mad.  
  
  
  
Ranma stopped there and turned his head to look at Akane. She was still looking at the sky, but there was a hint of a smile on her face now.  
  
"Did you make her mad a lot?"  
  
"I didn't mean too. Sometimes I would say things that I didn't mean just to keep our parents off of our backs, and sometimes she would jump to conclusions about me." Ranma smiled at her when she turned her head to look at him. "Do you know that you have the most incredible eyes?"  
  
"Really?"  
  
  
  
"I just want to be able to look at them forever," Ranma said in a husky voice as he propped his head on his hand so it was just inches away from Akane's face.  
  
He had been watching her intently as he was speaking. Her eyes were starting to mist up and she looked like she was about to cry, but she didn't pull away from him. That was all the encouragement that he needed.  
  
"I love you, Akane Tendo!" he whispered as he leaned forward and kissed her for the first time.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
@)------------------------  
  
Yea!! I finally finished the chapter! I want to thank my wonderful pre- readers taechunsa, D-chan, Maura and aznfantasee! (Hi guys ^_^) With your help this chapter is even better than when I started!  
  
I also want to thank all of the people who take the time to write reviews. I read all of them! They encourage me when I am working on the next chapter, so keep them coming! ^_^ 


	16. 16

Thank you for all of your reviews! It is good to know that you are enjoying the story! On that note, I feel I need to apologize for taking so long in getting this chapter out. I have a lot going on and sometimes I have problems finding the time to write.  
  
  
  
Here we go, the disclaimer..the Ranma characters don't belong to me.blah.blah.I am making no money.blah.blah.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
CHAPTER 16  
  
STARRY NIGHT  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"I can feel the evil," Soon Hee stated as she gazed at the nighttime sky. "His powers are growing by the hour."  
  
"We are safe for now," Choon Li replied.  
  
A gentle breeze started to make its way across the forest, adding a chill to the already cool night air. Without explanation, Choon Li left the gazebo that he and the matriarch had been talking in, startling Soon Hee. Leaving the matriarchs presence without permission was normally considered a great offense, allowances for his behavior had to be made though. Choon Li had lived almost his entire life alone, away from the village. He didn't always follow the correct protocol.  
  
Just as she started to shiver, she felt a shawl being draped over her shoulders. Welcoming the delicious warmth that spread over her body, she turned to look up at the person whom had brought it to her. Many, many years had passed since a male had willingly waited on her.  
  
"This should help you warm up," Choon Li said as he poured hot tea from a thermos to a cup.  
  
"He is very close to the village," Soon Hee stated, taking a sip from her cup.  
  
"Yes, I can feel him. He doesn't know they are here though," Choon Li answered.  
  
"How can you be so sure, child?"  
  
Choon Li stared up at the sky, looking at the stars as he carefully considered his choice of words.  
  
"I could feel his presence every time I ventured into the sacred woods," Choon Li replied as he watched the elder's reaction. "The woods seem to be acting as some kind of barrier between the pair. They are protected in the middle of the woods while the demons conscious prowls around the perimeter."  
  
"So they are safe as long as they stay in the woods?" Soon Hee asked.  
  
"As long as they only go to the woods in their astral bodies and stay within it woods, then they are safe," Choon Li responded.  
  
  
  
Seemingly lost in thought, the matriarch gazed through the dwindling crowd, studying each person that passed by. After a while, she let her eyes close and shook her head, as if trying to clear it of her thoughts.  
  
"Out of all these people," the elder started, "how will we be able to tell which ones are the couple we are searching for?"  
  
A soft sigh escaped Choon Li's lips as he tried to think of an answer for the question. He had been thinking about the same thing for many days now, and he still couldn't think of a solution.  
  
"I guess we will just have to wait until fate is ready to reveal them," Choon Li answered as he rose from his seat on the ground. "Now if you will excuse me, Honored Elder, I am very tired."  
  
Without waiting for a reply, Choon Li turned and headed for the hut that he was sharing with his wife.  
  
  
  
  
  
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"Come in child, it is getting late," Cologne called out the window of her home to the lavender haired beauty sitting under the tree.  
  
"I'll come in later," Shampoo replied rather sullenly.  
  
"I know you are upset over losing Ranma, but you are still young," Cologne said after stepping out the front door.  
  
Instead of looking at her great-grandmother as she spoke, Shampoo focused on the grass in front of her. She had already anticipated Colognes caviler attitude towards the whole subject, and she really couldn't fault her. After all she had accepted the bet, she had lost the match, and she had lost Ranma. Now things would have been different if they had consummated their relationship, then he would have been hers for life, but things just didn't work out that way.  
  
"I know," Shampoo finally answered in a very quiet voice. She didn't want to hear the lecture that was coming, all she really wanted was an understanding ear, but that wasn't her great-grandmother's way.  
  
"Always remember that you are an Amazon!" Cologne said with pride in her voice. "There will be many men that come and go in your life, but you will only have one tribe. Don't let your feelings for a man interfere with your duty to the tribe."  
  
An empty silence that could not be filled hung between the two women. Shampoo knew that her great-grandmother was waiting for a response from her. Just a word to let her know that she would be obeyed; that the implied meaning behind their rather one-sided conversation had been understood. There was none coming though, not from Shampoo anyways.  
  
After what seemed like an eternity, Shampoo heard Cologne head back towards the house. The corners of her mouth turned up into a small smile as she heard the door latch, she welcomed the prospect of being alone. This way she had the quiet she needed to decide on her course of action.  
  
The thought of Akane being an Amazon filled Shampoo with a disgust that caused her stomach to churn. In the past there had always been a few girls in the tribe that Shampoo didn't like, but nothing to this degree. As far as she was concerned, accepting Akane into the tribe brought disgrace to all of them.  
  
Still, she was a part of their sisterhood now, a sisterhood with a time- honored tradition of protecting one another. Being brought up in that tradition, Shampoo knew that she was not to harm one of her other sisters on purpose. Training accidents were one thing, but murder was another.  
  
This was the only family that she had ever known, and she had always followed the rules that had been set forth. Was having Ranma by her side really worth the possibility of losing everything she had worked for?  
  
Over the years, Shampoo had worked hard to gain her position and titles. She was highly respected by the elders, and, until today, she had been the most skilled warrior in the village. Too lose everything that she had worked for and her family would be like losing her life.  
  
Still, she would have Ranma by her side. No one would need to know what she had done; everything could be made to look like an accident. Then she would have her Ranma back and still have the respect she had worked so hard to earn.  
  
If anyone did discover her deeds though, she would be hunted down and killed. The idea of losing her life was something that she really didn't relish, but what would her life be without Ranma. Either way she went, she would end up losing something that she treasured. The question now was what did she treasure the most.  
  
  
  
  
  
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Akane stared in wonder at the boy, no not a boy a man, at the man in front of her. She had been surprised when Ranma had walked up to her as she lay by the lake. That was one of the last things that she had expected to happen. What she had expected was for him to run back to Nerima, or maybe leave to start searching for a cure to his curse again. She never thought that he would search out an Amazon named Yung Ji.  
  
The world seemed to be moving in slow motion for her as she listened intently to every word he was saying. The way he was effortlessly expressing himself to her, like he had known her forever, not only amazed her, but saddened her as well. They had known each other for over a year, and he had never talked to her this way. Yet here he was, pouring his heart out to a supposed stranger.  
  
Unshed tears burned at the back of her throat as she listened to the man she loved talk about his other fiancées. Then Ranma told of her as the jealous one, and the description hit home. All of her petty temper- tantrums came to mind as he continued on. It was then that she realized that she never really gave him a chance to explain himself in any situation. She always jumped to conclusions and he always paid the price.  
  
"Well, what about the jealous one?" Akane could hear her voice waver as she spoke, and knew that Ranma could too. Letting go of her pride, Akane choked back her tears and continued to listen, speaking only when necessary.  
  
Just when she thought that she was going to hit the lowest possible point in her life, hope bloomed in her heart. Ranma was talking about her, singing her praises. He thought she was beautiful!  
  
A fresh bought of tears sprung to Akane's eyes as she rolled onto her side to face the man of her dreams. There he was, inches from her face, looking at her with an intensity that made her heart pound. The warmth of his breath on her face quickly spread to the rest of her body as he spoke the words that she had longed to hear for so long.  
  
  
  
"I love you, Akane Tendo!"  
  
The whispered words resonated in her head, and the unshed tears began to tumble from her eyes. Slowly, she closed her eyes as he lowered his face towards hers, and gently kissed her lips. The thrill that ran through her body at that moment was indescribable, bringing a whole new meaning to her life; He had chosen her.  
  
Akane was still savoring the tenderness of the moment when she felt Ranma pull away. She opened her eyes to look at him and saw something there that she had never seen before, a new light shining in his eyes. It was as if the mask of confidence he constantly wore had been stripped away, leaving his soul bared to the world. He was nervously awaiting her answer.  
  
When she didn't answer right away, he stood and reached down for her hand. Gingerly she reached up and took hold, facing him as she stood. She knew that she should say something, but she couldn't find her voice through all of her tears.  
  
She desperately tried to get her tears under control, but to no avail. The more she tried, the more they seemed to flow. Knowing that she would not be able to speak until the tears subsided, she looked down at the ground. Maybe if she couldn't see Ranma, they would stop.  
  
After a few minutes, she felt Ranma wrap an arm around her waist and pull her close. His free hand gently grasped her jaw, pushing her face up, until she was looking him in the eye once again.  
  
"You don't have to say anything if ya don't want to," Ranma said. "I just had to let you know."  
  
The pained look in his eyes was almost more than she could bear. There was only one thing she knew of that she could do to ensure him of her love. Smiling through her tears, she leaned into his embrace, and kissed him.  
  
Like their first kiss, this one started off sweet and gentle, making Akane's heart soar. Slowly, she put her arms around his neck as the kiss deepened, causing her knees to go weak. She had heard some of the girls at school talking about their experiences, but she had never imagined how intoxicating it could be.  
  
Pulling back a little, Akane once again gazed into Ranma's eyes. There was no hesitation this time, no tears, no indecision. She knew without a doubt that she loved this man, she had known for a while. Now was the time for her to tell him, before something else went wrong.  
  
"I love you too, Ranma!" Akane said with a smile, her eyes shining.  
  
Ranma smiled down at her, kissing her forehead as he pulled her close to his body. A gentle breeze started to blow over the lake, adding a chill to the night air. Akane didn't notice though, she was warm in the embrace of love.  
  
  
  
  
  
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Shampoo watched the whole disgusting scene from a distance. She could not hear what Ranma and Akane were saying to each other, but judging from the kissing, she was sure that she wouldn't like it.  
  
The thought of Ranma having to show such affection to that girl was almost too much for the young Amazon to handle. She was just sure that Akane had forced him to marry her just as soon as they had left the competition. After all, why would Ranma choose that tomboy over her? She had so much more to offer!  
  
Waiting for Ranma to leave Akane's side was proving to be much more difficult than she had imagined. The thought of attacking Akane in front of him had briefly crossed Shampoo's mind; she had quickly dismissed it though. Ranma was a very honorable person, and if he decided to withhold the bet then he would defend Akane. Besides, if she wanted to remain a member of the tribe, it was imperative that no one see her commit the act.  
  
  
  
Finally, after what seemed like hours of torture to Shampoo, Ranma finally seemed to be heading away from Akane. For a moment, he actually seemed to be lingering at the edge of the woods, like he didn't want to leave. That could not be the case though. Shampoo had heard his litany often enough to know that he did not like the tomboy. He never once sang her praises, only listed her faults. She would be doing the world a favor by ending this weak girls life.  
  
The sound of a twig snapping brought her mind back into focus. Ranma was walking into the forest, heading back to the village.  
  
"Are you sure you don't want me to walk you back to your camp?" Ranma asked, turning to look at Akane.  
  
"No, I'm going to stay here by the lake," Akane answered. "I need to think about some things."  
  
Shampoo smiled when she heard this, her task had just become easy. Everyone knew how clumsy Akane could be, and everyone knew that the girl could not swim. She couldn't use this lake though, too many people from the village walked out there. An idea came into her mind, bringing an ugly, twisted smile to her lips; she had the perfect plan.  
  
"I am going to see you tomorrow right?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Right after I talk with my mother!" Akane said with a big smile on her face.  
  
Shampoo watched as Ranma turned and walked into the woods, and as Akane turned to gaze at the still waters before her. The necessity of action was all to clear to her now.  
  
Without making a sound, Shampoo lowered herself from the tree she was sitting in, and, keeping to the tree line, descended into the valley. Once she could see the various, glittering pools a few feet away from her, she stopped to put her plan into action.  
  
"Help!" Shampoo screamed at the top of her lungs. "Someone, please help me!"  
  
A hard, glint shone in the girls lavender eyes as she purposely thought of losing Ranma to Akane. The scene was not one she liked, but it helped her gain the emotional edge that she needed.  
  
"Oh please!" Shampoo yelled again, her voice now quivering. "Please, someone, anyone, help!"  
  
  
  
The sound of footsteps could be heard headed her way. She didn't have to wait very long, but then Akane always did have a big heart. Shampoo made her way through the trees until she by the edge of two adjacent pools. This was the spot she would lure Akane to, if she missed on pool, the other was waiting.  
  
"I'm here!" Shampoo called out in a weak voice. She climbed up a tree whose branches were somewhat extended over the pools. "Hurry, please hurry!"  
  
As she waited in the tree, Shampoo began to have doubts that the person coming was indeed Akane. What if there was more than one person? What was she to do then? Just as the thought passed through her head though, Akane appeared from the trees, and headed towards the pools, quelling all of Shampoo's fears.  
  
Quickly, she pulled a thermos full of cold water out of her pack, pouring it over her head. Suddenly, the clothes she was wearing fell to the ground, and the thermos she was holding was left dangling from a string connected to the branch she was sitting on. Out of all the chaos came a white cat with lavender tips on her ears and feet. Neko-Shampoo was ready for action.  
  
  
  
  
  
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Mousse paced the floor at the bottom of the stairs. Nabiki had said goodnight and gone up a half an hour ago, but she wasn't asleep yet. There was no way he could risk going up the stairs until she was sound asleep. At the rate Nabiki was going, he would be up for half the night.  
  
As much as he wanted to get this little problem taken care of, there really was no hurry. If he got it taken care of right away, then there would be less to worry about. Besides, Nabiki could really use the help. The whole situation had been making her tense and irritable.  
  
He would wait until she was asleep. He would miss a whole night's sleep if he needed to. All that mattered was Nabiki's welfare. He would not rest easy until she could.  
  
  
  
  
  
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Ranma was walking down the path in the woods, thinking about Akane. He could not believe his good luck! Not only was he engaged to the most amazing girl in the world, but she actually loved him back. For most of his life he had dreamed of finding someone to love, and now he had.  
  
There weren't many people in Ranma's life as he was growing up that he could love. He loved his father in a way, and he loved his best-friend Ukyou. They were pretty much the only constants in his younger life. It was kind hard to form attachments when he moved around so much.  
  
The love he held for his mother was something entirely different. He didn't really know her, or the kind of person she was and he knew that. All he had of his mother for so many years was an idea, a vision of what he wanted her to be. The funny thing was Kasumi fit his idea of a perfect mother much better than his own did.  
  
Then there was Akane. When he and his father first entered the Nerima district he felt that he was at the beginning of something incredible, he just didn't know what it was. Then he had met Akane, and in that instant, when she offered her friendship, he knew that he would never leave her side. He felt drawn to her in a way that he could not comprehend, let alone describe. Back then he was sure that Akane was the incredible thing that he had been feeling, but he knew better now. Whatever he was a part of included her, and was way bigger than either one of them.  
  
He was just able to start making out the lights of the village in the distance when he stopped. A strange feeling came over him, something just wasn't right. With a speed born from years of training, Ranma ran back in the direction he had come from. He needed to get to Akane; he should never have left her alone.  
  
The trees were all blurred as he ran past, and up over the rise. The lake quickly came into view, but he did not see Akane. A sick feeling began to burn in his stomach, she wouldn't have gone into the valley; not even she was that dumb. He couldn't seem to shake the feeling that she was down there though.  
  
He ran down into the valley, heedless of the danger of falling into yet another cursed spring. He was in such a hurry that he merely made note of the little white cat that went streaking past him, ignoring the need to scream in fear.  
  
He could see her now, floundering in a spring, trying desperately to get to shore. Running as fast as he could now, he felt the panic rising in his throat as he watched her go under and come back up countless times.  
  
When he finally reached the side of the spring, she was slowly sinking. Only her hand remained above the water. Not caring if he fell in the pool himself, Ranma quickly grabbed her hand and began to pull her out. Some part of his mind grasped the fact that Akane seemed to weigh a lot more now, but, in his panic, he did not acknowledge the fact. He would only feel calm once he had her safely on the shore.  
  
  
  
The first thing he noticed when, he had finished pulling Akane out of the water, was that she seemed taller. A sick feeling washed over him as he realized what must have happened; she had fallen into the spring of drowned man.  
  
He reached out and grasped Akane-kun's hand, rubbing it in an attempt to help warm her. When he realized that the boy wasn't going to gain consciousness anytime soon, he picked him up and carried him over to a tree. He sat down with the boy on his lap and wrapped his arms around him.  
  
  
  
Little flecks of golden light began to surround the pair. They were dancing through the air, disappearing then reappearing and moving round in circles. Ranma watched them warily for a few moments before he began to feel very sleepy. He tried his hardest to stay awake to watch the phenomena, but sleep finally overtook him.  
  
  
  
The golden light completely enveloped the couple.  
  
  
  
  
  
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This has been finished for quite a while. (Author grins, while giving off a nervous laugh.) I was planning on adding quite a bit more to this chapter, but it just didn't seem right. So, needless to say, I already have quite a bit of chapter 17 written, and could finish it this very day if I wanted to. ^_^  
  
As always, I want to thank my wonderful pre-readers for all of their help! Without them the chapters wouldn't flow as smoothly. 


	17. 17

I know, I know, I have taken too long to put out this chapter. Well, now that it is finally here I hope that all of you have not given up on reading my story! Enjoy!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
STARRY NIGHT  
  
CHAPTER 17  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
After a few minutes of working the tumblers, Mousse had the door at the top of the stairs open. Surprised at how easy the task was, he quietly opened the door and peered in to make sure Nabiki was indeed asleep. The door to her room was closed, and no light was seeping through. Still, he waited and listened for a while to make sure this was the case.  
  
When he was sure that the way was clear, he swiftly moved to the door at the end of the hall. There was a rather large and ancient lock on the door that looked like it could crumble at any moment. Mousse was very cautious with the lock even though he knew he didn't have to be, the thing did belong to Cologne after all.  
  
This lock was considerably harder to open than the one on the door at the top of the stairs. Mousse worked diligently at it for close to ten minutes before he heard the tumblers giving way, allowing him access to the room.  
  
He pushed the door slowly, wincing at the squeaking noise that echoed down the hallway. Now would not be a good time for Nabiki to wake up. If she knew what he was up to, she would stop him, and he didn't want to be stopped. This was something that needed to be done, should have actually been done a long time ago. He would finish his task no matter what.  
  
After the door was opened far enough for him to squeeze through, Mousse paused and looked back down the hall. When he was satisfied that Nabiki was still safely tucked in her bed, he slipped into the room and began searching for the things he wanted.  
  
  
  
  
  
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Choon Li had just climbed into bed when the first feelings of someone's ki flaring reached him. At first he wasn't sure what was happening or who was in trouble, then he recognized the ki. The intertwining patterns of hot and cold were so prevalent that there was no mistaking what had happened. The fated couple of prophecy had finally balanced the scales of yin and yang.  
  
Rising quickly from his bed, Choon Li grabbed his hastily discarded clothes and ran to the elder's hut. He needed to get into the sacred woods so he could figure out where the couple was. Their bodies would have to be guarded until the melding process was completed.  
  
  
  
  
  
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In a forest glade, in rural China somewhere, Natsume jumped up from where she lay by the fire. As she turned in circles, the green glow that surrounded her eyes trailed her. She was searching for the ki she had just felt. The ki she had been feeling ever since she had been released from her crystal prison. The only difference was that now she could feel the two intertwining, straining to become one whole. They were melding now, balancing each other out until they were in complete harmony with each other.  
  
The couple would be very vulnerable right now. If her memory served her correctly, they would be unconscious until the process was complete. If she could eliminate them now, then there would be no one to challenge her domination of this world. She would have to be swift though, the Amazon's were probably already on their way to the couple.  
  
Closing her eyes and concentrating, Natsume finally stopped turning in circles knowing she had found the direction to take. Mentally, she called on her pet, letting him know that it was time to come to her. Thankfully he could travel through the air very rapidly and would probably be there in a few hours. Until then though, she would prepare for her future task.  
  
  
  
  
  
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Choon Li paced nervously in front of the door of the elder's hut. The guard on duty had challenged him as he neared the hut, refusing to let him enter. Obviously, she did not understand the urgency of the situation, so he had tried to explain. She wouldn't listen to him though! All she would do was tell him that no one was allowed to bother the matriarch while she was sleeping.  
  
A sudden surge crossed the sky above Choon Li, filling him with panic. The demon had also felt the fated couples rising ki and was searching for them. There was no time to waste; the future of the world was at stake.  
  
Without thinking of the consequences of his actions, Choon Li raised his hands, pointing them at the guard by the door. Slowly she rose into the air and was deposited in the top branches of the tree by the elder's hut; now she would have to jump down from the tree before she could stop him. A satisfied grin played across the druid's features as he walked into the hut. He needed to save his people, and no warrior was going to stand in the way of him performing his duty.  
  
Fearing that one of the other guards might return at any moment, he quickly strode across the room, stopping at the door that led to the matriarch's private chambers. A look of regret momentarily played across his features; he really didn't want to have to disrupt the elder's rest. He had a duty though; a duty that extended beyond his tribe to encompass all of humanity. The regret he felt at this moment would be much greater if the demon got to the fated couple before he could. They needed to be found and now. With that thought in mind, he started to pound on the door.  
  
  
  
  
  
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Shampoo was in a daze as she ran out of the valley and headed back towards the village; nothing had gone as she planned. She should have known that Ranma would have gone back to be by Akane's side, he always did. How could she have been so stupid! Akane had seen who pushed her into the pool, Ranma had run by her on the path, and her clothes were still lying in a pile at the bottom of the tree.  
  
There was no doubt that Ranma had saved the Tendo girl, and they were probably on their way to the village right now. Panic stricken, Shampoo quickened her pace, taking the shortest route she knew to her great- grandmother's hut. Once there, she headed straight for the kitchen and jumped up on the counter. Before she had headed out for the night, she had left a pot of water on a low fire on the stove so she could change back. Gingerly, she dipped her front legs into the water, and waited for the change to occur.  
  
Shampoo's original plan might have gone awry, but she was an Amazon born and bred, so she had planned for several different outcomes; being caught was one of them. Moving as quickly as she could, she moved to the table on the other side of the room. There she had left a change of clothes and her pack. She wasn't sure where she was going to go, she just knew that, if she valued her life, she had to put as much distance between her and the village as she could.  
  
  
  
As she walked out of the door to her great-grandmother's hut for the last time, she felt the beginnings of self-pity start to creep up on her; she quickly squashed it though. Instead she turned her sights towards the bane of her existence, Akane Tendo. She wasn't sure how, and she wasn't sure when, but she would make the girl pay. With that thought lodged firmly in her mind, she walked out of the village and into the comforting darkness of the surrounding forest.  
  
  
  
  
  
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"Let's go find them!" Soon Hee shouted as she opened her door just as Choon Li started to pound. Shaking her head, she stepped over the druid as he fell to the floor then continued on to the village commons.  
  
"Get up off of the floor Choon Li!" the elder yelled back towards the hut. "Don't look so confused. Honestly, do you think you are the only person who could feel that ki surge?"  
  
"You could feel them?" Choon Li asked incredulously as he stood up.  
  
"You're smarter than the average male, use your brain," Soon Hee said. "Hurry up, we need you to lead us to the couple.  
  
Showing an agility that defied her age, Soon Hee turned and thrust her walking stick into the ground. The stick started to give off an eerie purple glow as the elder directed her ki into it. The ki quickly traveled the length of the stick to the little golden eagle that was sitting atop of it. The eagle' beak opened slightly, allowing the molten image to give off a shrill whistle. Not to long afterwards, every window in the village was lit as armed warriors poured out into the commons.  
  
  
  
"Warriors," Soon Hee said after allow herself to feel satisfied at how promptly all the women had assembled, ready to go, "we have a dire situation on our hands."  
  
The clamor in the square quickly died down at the Elder's words. She could have spoken then, but she waited until the silence hung thick in the air. She wanted to make sure she had everyone's undivided attention before she told of the return of the prophesied couple.  
  
"Remember a few weeks ago, when I had all of the heads of family remind their family members about the ancient prophesy?" Again the matriarch paused to ensure that she had every warrior's undivided attention. "Over the past few weeks, the events have been occurring as was predicted. They are very vulnerable right now; we must find them."  
  
Murmurs spread through the crowd as the warriors sought out their team members; the ones they had been trained to work with since childhood. Within minutes the warriors, who had divided themselves into search parties of ten, had assessed the information and were once again giving their full attention to Soon Hee.  
  
"Choon Li said that he could feel the couple's ki surging in the direction of the springs; that is the way we will search."  
  
Pride shone in Soon Hee's eyes as the warriors before her began to move with the precision of a well-oiled machine. They had trained their entire lives for just such a moment, and now that training was paying off.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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Akane-kun woke to a strange sensation shooting through his body, tingling, yet burning at the same time. Struggling to sit up, he noticed that something wasn't quite right. He was sitting on Ranma's lap, like he had many times before, yet this time was different. Instead of his head fitting comfortable on Ranma's shoulder, it was now resting on the other boy's cheek.  
  
Thinking that Ranma must have changed into his cursed form, Akane-kun glanced at her fiancée before moving to wake him up; what she saw was a complete shock, Ranma was still a male.  
  
"AHHHHHH!" The deep, resonating scream that filled the woods was loud enough to wake Ranma. He quickly jumped to his feet to see what was wrong, dumping Akane-kun on the ground in the process.  
  
"What's wrong, Akane?" Ranma said as he turned to face her.  
  
Akane-kun could see the shock register in Ranma's eyes as he looked her cursed form over; the shock was quickly replaced by a smirk though. An insecurity she had never felt before suddenly flooded her mind. True she had been insecure in the past when all the other fiancée's had been chasing Ranma, but this was different. Back then she had not been sure of her feelings, now she was, and what was more, she knew how Ranma felt about her. The hard part was actually speaking the question that she was dying to know the answer too.  
  
"Are you disgusted by me?" Akane-kun asked in a very quiet tone of voice. A tight knot formed in the pit of her stomach as she nervously awaited Ranma's answer.  
  
"It figures you would be built like Ryoga in your cursed form," Ranma said with a slight chuckle. "Didn't I always say you were built like an ox? Don't get any ideas though, I could still take you in a fight."  
  
"You didn't answer my question," Akane-kun said, speaking a little louder, radiating anger.  
  
"Let's see, you're still built like bricks so I am guessing that you are still as strong as an ox," Ranma said while walking back and forth, keeping Akane-kun in his peripheral line of vision. "Your waist is still thicker than mine, and I'm still better looking."  
  
Akane-kun's anger quickly got the best of her as Ranma ran through his litany of her bad points, but she was able to contain her emotions, that is until he got to the part about who was the better looking female. Before she could stop herself, her ever-hated mallet had been pulled out.  
  
"I will not do this!" Akane yelled at herself, as she pulled back on her mallet and twisted to the side, barely missing the pig-tailed boy.  
  
"Wow! You've learned some control. Living with the Amazon's has definitely been good for you." Ranma said with a tone of respect, his words fell on deaf ears though.  
  
"I'm sorry, please forgive me," Akane-kun said as tears started to fill her eyes. "I haven't lost control like that in such a long time; I.I don't know what came over me."  
  
The shame that Ranma heard in Akane-kun's voice filled him with regret. All he had wanted to do was prove a point to his fiancée, but all he had succeeded in was feeding her cycle of self-doubt; a cycle she had worked very hard to overcome.  
  
With a heavy sigh, Ranma reached over to Akane-kun and gently took her face in his hands. The hard, chiseled features of the other boy's face were a great contrast to what he associated with Akane. He had to stop that thought there though; he had to prove his point. Slowly he closed the distance between the two of them, until their faces were inches apart.  
  
"You have nothing to be sorry for," Ranma said, looking directly into Akane-kun's eyes, "I goaded you into attacking. I know you Akane, I know what makes you mad and I know just how far I can push you before your mallet comes into play."  
  
"You made me mad on purpose," Akane-kun asked incredulously.  
  
Ranma tenderly kissed Akane-kun on the forehead. "I wanted to prove to you that even though you are in a male body, you are still the Akane I know and love."  
  
A sparkle of realization started to gleam in Akane-kun's eyes as Ranma's words sunk in. He loved her, no matter what happened he loved her, and love was not a thing he took lightly. In all the years that she had known the pig-tailed boy he had never once said that he loved anyone, not even to gain something he wanted, not counting potions and curses of course. So now that Ranma had finally said the words, she knew that the other boy really meant them.  
  
"What were you doing in the valley at night anyways?" Ranma asked Akane-kun, "You of all people should know just how dangerous that place can be!"  
  
Akane-kun's eyes got bigger as the evenings events started to come back to her. "I heard a noise in the valley. Someone needed help, and you were already headed back towards the village. I thought I had to act fast, but when I got there I couldn't see anyone. The noise stopped when I came to the pool that was closest to the trees, and then the next thing I know a cat jumped at me.."  
  
"Wait a minute!" Ranma interrupted. "I ran past a cat on my way into the valley! Now that I think about it, the cat looked an awful lot like Shampoo's cursed form!"  
  
"She must have seen us together by the lake, but how could she have known who I was," Akane-kun replied as the enormity of the situation came to her. "We need to get to the village and tell someone about this!"  
  
For the first time since she had awoken, Akane-kun looked at her surroundings. Slowly, she turned her gaze to Ranma and slightly raised an eyebrow.  
  
"There's something that I've been meaning to tell you for a while now," Ranma started when he saw the look on his fiancée's face. "I've been coming into these woods on a nightly basis. I don't know how I get here, but that's okay because seeing you alive has been keeping me sane."  
  
Ranma almost laughed as the look on Akane-kun's face slowly changed from accusatory to wonder. "You see, as long as I got to see you here in these woods every night, then I knew you were safe somewhere."  
  
"I thought you were a dream," Akane-kun breathed, "why didn't you tell me the truth?"  
  
"We were getting along so well," Ranma started to explain. "I just didn't want to ruin everything. Besides that, would you have believed me if I had told you?"  
  
"No, I probably wouldn't have," Akane-kun agreed, pulling Ranma down with her as she sat on the log. "For that matter, I'm having problems believing that you are really here with me right now."  
  
As they sat in companionable silence, Ranma's errant thoughts returned to the sight of Akane's body floating in the cursed pool. The familiar gut-wrenching fear that he had felt when he had almost lost her at Jusenkyo was once again afflicting him. Since he had first met her, she had become such an integral part of his life that he didn't know what he would do if he lost her. As he was thinking along those lines, something occurred to him that scared him to the very depths of his soul. If they were in the dream forest, then that meant their bodies were still by the pool! Shampoo could be doing all kinds of things to them, and there was nothing he could do to stop her!  
  
"What's wrong?" Akane-kun asked when he noticed the panicked look on his fiancée's face.  
  
"I was just wondering if Shampoo kept running for the village, or." Ranma left off; he couldn't finish his sentence.  
  
"I'm sure if she had done something to one of us that we would know about it," Akane-kun said in an unsure voice as she reached over and grasped the other boy's hand.  
  
A tender smile tugged at the corners of Ranma's mouth as he felt Akane-kun's warmth seep into his hand. "I guess only time will answer that question."  
  
  
  
  
  
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"This way," Choon Li yelled as he ran down the path into the valley below. "Hurry, we don't have much time! The evil draws nearer!"  
  
The further the Amazon's went into the valley, the brighter the sky grew. Finally, as they entered the clearing, they understood the reason for the brightly lit night sky. Off on the fringes of the clearing they could see the prophesied couple lying on the ground, several hundred golden spots of light floated in the air around them. The whole scene looked very surreal to everyone present.  
  
"Quick! Someone grab them! They will have to be carried to the caves until the process is complete," Soon Hee yelled as she ran to stand next to the druid, helping him to scan the night sky.  
  
The distant night sky was suddenly set ablaze as a fireball burst from its inky depths, careening towards the earth, and exploding in the trees just beyond the enchanted couple. Almost as one, the warriors ran forward into the woods, two of them slowing just enough to grab the couple. Behind them Choon Li had his hands extending towards the sky, sending ki blasts to various points in the sky. Beside him, Soon Hee, who had her staff raised, was also sending balls of ki into the black void above.  
  
As the warriors spread out and ran in different directions through the forest, the demon shifted her focus to the gently swaying trees below. From her vantage point she couldn't tell exactly where the various warriors were or which ones had the two people she wanted to destroy, so she randomly fired ki blasts where she saw the trees moving. One by one they flew from her fingertips, sending a shower of rocks, dirt and decimated trees where they hit.  
  
After sending dozens of blasts hurling towards the earth without so much as one lucky strike, she finally hit pay dirt. Through a cloud of debris, she could see a warrior running with another person in her arms. A cruel smile formed on her lips as she took careful aim at the trees just beyond the newly created clearing, the blood lust of the moment almost unbearable. A thrill beyond comprehension filled her dark soul as she felt the energies created by her body surging towards her fingertips. With victory just seconds away, a totally demonic smile marred the already twisted features on the once beautiful face; an assured victory was within her grasps. Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light from the ground below, followed almost instantly by a sharp pain in her extended arm. The force of the blow was so great that she almost fell off of her pet as the ki ball missed its target, flying instead into a mountainside in the distance.  
  
There, on the ground below her, Soon Hee and Choon Li stood side by side, their arms raised towards the sky. They had bought enough time for the warriors to reach the safety of the caves, but now the real battle was about to begin. As soon as their combined blasts had reached the intended target, Choon Li started to chant a spell. The air above the forest started to waver a little as the last words were spoken, slightly distorting the image of the possessed person in the sky above.  
  
Soon Hee quickly got to work as the demon sent ki blast after ki blast hurtling at the same spot in the huge shield. She varied her well- aimed shots between the demon and the dragon, hoping to injure one of them enough that they would have to leave. Shot after shot went coursing through the seemingly one-way shield, some hitting both beast and master, and the others exploding after being met by other ki blasts. If the stakes in this game were not quite so high, she would have stopped to enjoy the spectacular light show their fighting was creating.  
  
A groan escaping from Choon Li, and the shield starting to weaken caused Soon Hee to strengthen the intensity of her attacks; if the shield failed then battle would be a bloody one. Her tribe could ill afford to battle the demon so soon; they would be needed for the upcoming events.  
  
Two ki blasts came tearing through the air from behind Soon Hee, startling her. Sparing a few seconds, she glanced to either side of her and noted that she had been joined by Kai Xing and Ku Lon, with their help the fight should be over fairly soon. The three elders stood side-by-side, firing one shot after the other, all in a seemingly endless procession. After but a few minutes their strategy paid off, and two of their shots merged and hit the lithe dragon as it was darting across the sky. The great beast let off a screeching cry as it began to plunge towards the ground. Seeing their opportunity, the elders and the druid quickly darted under the cover of the trees before the pair could right themselves, and headed for the relative safety of the caves.  
  
  
  
  
  
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As the starry night skies above the city of Nerima began to be lightened by the first tender rays of the sun, a white duck settled itself on the corner post of a massive wrought stone fence. Before it began its watch, the duck lifted its wing, tucked its head into the space underneath, and pulled a vial from some unidentifiable place beneath its feathers. With the vial in its beak, the duck turned its attention back to the object that the massive fence was constructed to guard, a mansion.  
  
  
  
  
  
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Natsume could feel the ki coming towards her and her pet before they were ever struck. There was no way they could avoid them however, she had detected them too late. As quickly as she could, she wrapped the straps from the leather harness around her arms, hoping she would be able to stay astride. Just as she finished securing herself, the blasts hit, and they were more powerful than she had anticipated, almost flinging her from her pet. Desperately, she clung to the beast with her legs as they plummeted through the skies, the ground below looming ever closer. She pulled back on the reins with a strength that should have eluded a woman of her stature, trying to coax her pet to change the course they were on. Slowly, bit-by-bit, got her pet to raise its head and level out in the skies, leaving them to soar over the forest once more.  
  
Despite the various areas of carnage, the trees below did not belay any of the chaos that had just ensued as they gently swayed in the breeze. Even though they circled the area a few more times, Natsume could not determine where the whole of the Amazon tribe had gone. Letting lose a frustrated cry of rage, she randomly flung ki blasts into the trees below in the hopes that she would hit something, and then directed her beast to fly towards the Amazon village. She may have lost the battle, but she would not lose the war.  
  
  
  
  
  
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Choon Li, Soon Hee, Kai Xing and Ku Lon reached the safety of the hidden caves just as the male population of the village arrived with the children. They swiftly made their way through the crowds of people, and headed towards a small side chamber. Tapers that were randomly placed around the room softly lit the hand-carved, domed room. On the rush covered floor, to one side of the chamber, the prophesied couple lay on a blanket with their arms wrapped protectively around one another.  
  
"That was too close for comfort," Ku Lon stated as she sat on the floor by the matriarch, "we almost lost the world's only hope."  
  
Soon Hee relished the coolness that rushed through to her skin as she leaned back against the stonewall of the chamber. She was very tired from all of her earlier exertions and really would have liked to take a nap, but she had pressing duties that needed to be seen to.  
  
She could hear a soft chuckling next to her as a sigh of relief escaped her lips. "We are not as young as we use to be," Soon Hee said to her life long friend. "We need to step up the ki training of the younger warriors, they have more stamina for this kind of exertion."  
  
"Yes, that is true," Ku Lon answered, "but the youth of today are so impatient that I fear we will not be able to teach them the focus that they will need."  
  
"Ang Mei has already started on that task, and she is having quite a bit of success with a few of them." Soon Hee said as she rose to her feet. "Come, we need to go and see to the wounded before we can do anything else."  
  
Choon Li and Ku Lon both moved to the entrance of the chamber and waited as Soon Hee moved to the other side of the room with her cup of tea in hand. She carefully poured the contents of the cup on Akane-kun and watched as the change took place.  
  
"Do you know this girl, Ku Lon?" Soon Hee asked when she saw the surprised look on the other woman's face.  
  
A few seconds passed before Ku Lon was able to speak. "She was Xian Pu's rival for the boy's affections. Xian Pu gave her the kiss of death when she found out that Ranma was engaged to the other girl, I am now glad that I forbade her from killing the girl."  
  
"Why wouldn't you let Shampoo try to fulfill her vow?" Soon Hee asked, glad that the deed was never done.  
  
"The girl was such a weakling," Ku Lon replied matter of factly, as she left the room. "She has improved tremendously."  
  
"Call me if you hear them return to consciousness," Soon Hee instructed the guards as she pulled the curtain across the entrance of the room. "Under no circumstances are you to enter the room."  
  
Without looking back to see if the other two were following, the Matriarch headed deeper into the cave to check on the well being of her people.  
  
  
  
  
  
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Akane-kun was struggling with whether or not to put her head on Ranma's shoulder when a strange, tingling sensation spread though her body; the feeling was so startling that she jumped off of the log.  
  
"Don't worry," Ranma said as he stood and put his arms around Akane- kun's waist, "you're just changing back to your normal form. Someone must have found our bodies and taken us back to the village."  
  
"That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Akane said after she finished changing back into her girl form. "I was so uncomfortable being a boy, I was never really sure how I should behave."  
  
"Now you know how I felt," Ranma replied with a grin. "At least I wasn't chasing you around saying you were a pervert because you didn't know what to do."  
  
"I'm so." Akane started to say, but was cut off by Ranma's kiss. By the time he was finished she was tingling from head to toe.  
  
"I want to know all of you," Ranma said in a deep, husky voice that made Akane shiver all over and long to be kissed again.  
  
Akane nervously licked her lips as she gazed up at Ranma's face when she realized that he was not going to kiss her again anytime soon. His eyes had changed from their normal calm blue to a gray storm that was swirling with an emotion that both excited and frightened her.  
  
When their gazes met, they became transfixed and couldn't move as a strange power began to envelop them. Scenes from both of their lives started to travel from one to another without one word being said. As they moved through the various stages of each other lives, they began to develop an understanding about the other. Suddenly they knew why they were each desperately seeking something in their lives, they knew why they were the way they were, and they knew why they had never found a significant other. They had been searching for each other their entire lives; they were each one part of a whole that could only be completed when they were together.  
  
"I understand," Ranma and Akane both thought at the same time, their voices mingling together in their minds even though neither of them spoke a word.  
  
  
  
  
  
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"It's daybreak now," Soon Hee said to the group of women assembled in front of her. "We need to go see what is left of our village. Wu Shan, take Mai Tsu, Guai Guai, Yang Yang, and Xian Nam, scout the area and then report back to the council."  
  
"Do you think she left anything standing?" A young warrior asked the council.  
  
A shadow fell across the Matriarch's tired eyes as she answered the question, "Not likely, dear, not likely."  
  
  
  
  
  
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The sun was well above the Nerima horizon when the duck first noticed the front door to the mansion open. A tall man with a bokken strapped to his waist stepped out onto the landing.  
  
"I shall return later this is a fine morning, the kind that demands a walk to be taken," he called back into the house before bounding down the stairs, all the while muttering under his breath.  
  
The duck strained to hear what the man was saying, trying to make out some of the words that were floating on the breeze. Anything, something that could convince him that he was making the correct decision.  
  
"Nay, please forgive me little sister, but there is no time to waste in small talk. If I tarry here any longer than I shall miss the evil fork- tongued Nabiki Tendo," Kuno answered his Kodachi, who was standing in the doorway. "I must not miss her; I have to hurry! I will find out where she has hidden the beautiful Akane Tendo so that I may save her from her sister's evil clutches!" The man kept muttering the last part to himself over and over again as he neared the fence. That was all the convincing that the duck needed, this man was truly a menace to the life of Nabiki Tendo.  
  
The duck waited until the man got closer to the fence and then launched his attack. Jumping off of the post and into the air, the duck flew straight at Kuno while holding the vial in his mouth. Seeing the crazed bird fly towards him, Kuno threw his arms up over his face to protect himself from the fury that nature was about to unleash upon him.  
  
This move, however, ended up being the worst thing that the Kuno could have done. As the duck neared, it threw its head back and launched the vial at Kuno, then circled around to make sure the potion had done the job. Just as the duck completed the circle, Kuno suddenly disappeared, leaving a pile of clothes in his wake. Satisfied that everything was going to be all right now, the duck flew towards his home to face another busy day at the Nekohatten.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
WOW! I never thought I would get this finished! I am so sorry that I have taken so long to write this chapter. I hope you all enjoy it, and I will try to start chapter 18 sometime soon. No guarantees though. The only one I will make you is that I will finish this story..I am just not sure when.  
  
As always thank you for all the wonderful reviews that I have gotten! I really enjoy reading them, so keep them coming! I can't tell you how wonderful it is to know that you guys are actually enjoying my story!  
  
And, I would like to thank Taechunsa for pre-reading my story for me! You are the greatest! 


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